Snohomish County
John Lovick
County Executive
News release – July 2, 2015
Contact: Laura Caster, E-911 Manager
Prank calls tie up 911 lines
The two agencies that provide 911 services in Snohomish County – SNOPAC and SNOCOM – have reported numerous false 911 calls stemming from a social media prank.
The prank tells people to ask Siri (a personal assistant feature on the iPhone) to call 112, which is the equivalent to 911 in Europe. Siri in turn dials 911 and connects the person to an emergency call-taker. This has tied up 911 operators, making it harder for others to report emergencies.
SNOPAC and SNOCOM ask everyone to be aware of the seriousness of calling 911 as a prank.
As we head into the July 4th holiday, county residents are asked to help keep 911 lines open for emergency calls.