E‑Comm has released its annual top ten list of reasons NOT to call 9‑1‑1, reminding British Columbians that the line is for real emergencies only — not broken appliances, refund disputes, or travel complaints.
The list is based on actual 2025 calls and highlights how non‑emergency questions tie up operators who must treat every call as potentially life‑threatening.
“As funny as some of these sound, every second spent on traffic questions or hornet complaints is time taken from someone in real danger,” says E‑Comm call taker Bailey Mitchell.
Top 10 unusual calls on 9-1-1 in 2025
- Their luggage exceeded the carry-on limits
- Walmart wouldn’t return an air fryer
- Their dishwasher was broken
- Someone parked at Starbucks and went into a grocery store instead
- A non-electric car parked at EV charging station
- They wanted to complain about traffic
- They got locked out of their Airbnb
- They left their iPad at the SkyTrain station
- They wanted help getting a hornet out of their apartment
- They were unhappy with their haircut
Tips on proper use of 9-1-1
- 9‑1‑1 is for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress
- Know your location at all times
- Don’t program 9‑1‑1 into any phone
- If you call 9‑1‑1 accidentally, stay on the line and let us know
- Lock and store your cellphone carefully to prevent accidental 9-1-1 calls
- Visit nonemergency.ca for a list of alternate resources for reporting non-emergency matters
E-Comm is responsible for 99 per cent of the 9-1-1 call volume in British Columbia and handles approximately two million calls 9-1-1 calls per year.
