The Dubois County 911 Communications Center has provided information on what to do if you accidentally dial 911.
They say even young children know to dial 911 in case of emergency, however, as the number of children having access to new and old cell phones has increased, this has also led to an increase in accidental 911 calls.
Many times, when an accidental call to 911 is made, the caller will hang up the phone upon realizing the mistake.
Unfortunately, when an accidental caller hangs up, there is no way for law enforcement to call them back to determine if there is an emergency.
Dispatchers must assume the call is legitimate until they learn otherwise.
That means officers must devote time and resources to tracking down the call, potentially taking time away from true emergencies.
Dubois County Dispatch officials estimate more than 30% of calls to the 911 center were accidental in 2020.
Officials say if you realize you or your child has accidentally dialed 911, please call back to let the dispatch center know it was a false alarm.
