I have heard enough of these voices, who keep repeating self-deprecating remarks; it’s almost as if I had no other alternative. I apologize; 911 by Lady Gaga distracted me. Where were we before?
The police department in Lakeville, Minnesota experienced a very strange day in February 2019 when the 911 dispatcher continued getting calls from the same number. The concept behind 911 is straightforward: in times of need, you can call a three-digit number that can never be used for anything else, regardless of the type of emergency you’re experiencing as long as it’s life-threatening.
What happens when you hear barking at the other end of the line and calls are pouring in nonstop? When a call falls silent, the dispatcher is expected to call back, and if they can’t, they’re meant to summon the police. Of course, you dispatch a few officers to assess the situation.
“By the time we got there, they had gotten three more 911 calls in that span of time,” Officer Michelle Roberts told The Dodo. “In a couple of them they heard dogs barking in the background, but no human voices at all.”
Contrary to what television shows and the media would have you believe, 911 dispatchers do not always quickly and easily determine the address. According to WPTV, the dispatcher cannot see your precise position when you dial 911 from a mobile device. Rather, dispatch centers must contact your wireless provider to obtain your location data.
According to NCT 911, when you make a call on a cell phone, your approximate location—i.e., within 300 meters of the closest cell phone tower—is detected through a mix of network triangulation and trilateration. About three football fields’ worth.
If your police department or sheriff’s office is on a more modern 911 network and if they use device-based hybrid location accuracy (DBH), they may be able to pinpoint your location within 15 meters.
When the two officers arrived, they thought nobody was there, but the calls persisted. Officer Roberts asked the homeowners if they could go inside to be sure, and when they said they could, she and her partner Officer Emily Bares entered, only to be greeted by two eager K9s.
Remy and Bomber, a hound mix and his Papillon partner, seemed to be a bit flustered at first, noting the strangers were not their usual pawrents. “They barked at first and then they were a little timid,” Roberts said. “But that didn’t last very long. They just wanted to be pets and they were super friendly.” She believed there was a human incapable of talking or moving and just calling for help; “I never thought it was the dogs, that’s for sure.”
During the examination, the officer entered the home office and discovered a forgotten cell phone on the desk. The screen was set to “emergency call only,” so all the dogs had to do to dial 911 was touch it with a paw or their nose, according to Roberts.
It’s more plausible that one of the puppies leaped up on the chair and attacked the phone than that one could have reached it by standing on his hind legs, as was once thought. However, even their owner thought the reason for the 911 calls was improbable.
“He didn’t believe it was the dogs at all until he heard the 911 tape with the dogs barking in the background and you can tell they’re really close,” Roberts said. “Then he seemed kind of baffled.” The homeowner took the phone to AT&T to see whether the phone had malfunctioned, but they found nothing wrong with it.
In total, the dispatcher received 16 calls to 911 from the attention-seeking pooches. And although this was one of the oddest situations Officer Roberts had ever faced, she was glad the emergency turned out to be a silly accident. “Anytime we can laugh and talk about dogs calling 911 if that’s the biggest news of our day that’s a good day.”
It must have been a “ruff” day for Remy and Bomber to take matters into their own paws. After receiving a warning, the criminal partners were allowed to resume their normal lives. 911 calls are rarely amusing, though, as practical jokes can and often do result in a misdemeanor and/or felony penalties.
Falsely reporting an emergency is against the law, according to Shouse Law, and is sanctioned by a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine. The reasonable expenditures of any emergency response are also the responsibility of the person found guilty of making a false 911 call.
911 operators field more accidental calls than prank calls; these calls are frequently placed by kids or teenagers (or dogs). The authorities may give you a warning in such circumstances.
If you accidentally phone 911, News Patrolling advises you to hang up because doing so will cause the dispatcher to send a police unit to your area. Simply explain what transpired and reassure the dispatcher that everything is fine to defuse the situation if you or your child unintentionally dial 911.
We hope that both the dogs and their owners learned their lesson: never deprive two nice lads of their morning snacks!
Credits: The Dodo
