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Inattentive dialing could prove costly

Apparently, it easier with the new Cisco telephone system to inadvertently place an emergency 911 and trigger unintended responses.

“Since we have changed over to the new Cisco phone system we are having an abundance of 911 misdials. It is possible to inadvertently dial 911 if you are placing a long distance call,” explained Dianna Magstadt of Human Resource Services.

She distributed an e-mail reminder this week to Headquarters employees warning of the consequences of lingering too long on the “1” when making a long-distance call.

“If you press 9, then 1 and continue to hold down the ‘1’ button for a second too long the system will automatically dial 911. If this happens, remain on the line and let the responder know that this was an accidental dial and there is no 911 emergency.”

Magstadt said ITD sections/offices will be assessed a $500 response charge if emergency personnel are not notified and arrive at your office.

To place a long-distance call using the new Cisco telephones:

From ITD headquarters, you can reach emergency response assistance by dialing either 911 or 9911. Let the responder know your location - example, 3311 West State Street, (Area) Commercial Vehicles.

If you accidentally dial 911, remain on the telephone until someone answers. Do not hang up. Let the responder know that there is no 911 emergency. The agency can be billed for false alarms, and staying on the line helps prevent this.

“Responders treat 911 hang-up calls as a person in danger situation, which can result in officers being dispatched to our facility in an aggressive posture. Please remain on the line and let the responder know that there is no 911 emergency,” Magstadt said.