top reason to not call 9-1-1

For the fifth consecutive year, E-Comm published its top 10 list of nuisance calls in December. And, as usual, the year-end list sparked interest in newsrooms and on social media.

“Spending time on calls like these takes me away from being available to help someone who is in a serious emergency situation.”

Christie Duncan,
E-Comm police call-taker

E-Comm police call-taker Christie Duncan fielded the call that topped the list: a person contacted 9-1-1 to complain that a nail salon wouldn’t change their nail polish colour.  “Spending time on calls like these takes me away from being available to help someone who is in a serious emergency situation,” said Duncan. “And believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve received a call about the colour of nail polish.”

Duncan and E-Comm spokesperson Jody Robertson spoke to media outlets to emphasize that while the calls sound unbelievable, nuisance calls are a very serious issue. “They’re more common than you might think,” said Robertson. “Our call-takers must listen to every caller and ask questions about the caller’s situation. So, an emergency line can be taken up with calls such as the ones on this top 10 list while our call-taker confirms if there’s a real emergency situation.”