Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Warns of False Automated 911 Alerts

Cell phones and vehicle crash-detection systems can unintentionally dispatch volunteer emergency responders

By Karen Salaz | Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department

When visitors and recreationalists head to the mountains it is safe to say most do not think about who will respond in the event of an emergency. Outside of metropolitan areas, volunteer first responders from the closest rural fire department likely will fill that critical role. These volunteers face many of the same challenges experienced by non-volunteer emergency responders in towns and cities.

Did you know your cell phone or vehicle can place an automated 911 call if you are in a crash or other emergency? This feature has notified Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department (RCVFD) responders of a rollover crash and certainly sped up the department’s response. The downside of the feature is that responding departments receive approximately five false alarms for every real emergency.

The classic case is when someone places his/her phone on top of their vehicle, forgets it, and drives away. The phone senses the movement, then the G forces of hitting the ground automatically notifies the local Dispatch center of a vehicular crash.

An Apple cell phone can send an automatic 911 signal even in areas where it indicates there is no signal. In these instances, emergency responders receive a cryptic alert page with GPS coordinates that sending them to the location of the phone and alas responders figure out there is no crash. Modern vehicles have this feature as well.

In one instance, RCVFD received a page in the middle of the night for a crash near Stove Prairie School. Responders drove around searching the area checking for an incident before Dispatch could contact the owner of the vehicle who was safely at home. The owner indicated their “truck computer was acting up.”

RCVFD medical emergency responders provide demonstrations and are available to answer questions during the Mountain Festival. (Photo by Erica Michel)

RCVFD responders, like other volunteer fire departments, will always respond when paged, but you can help. If you realize your phone has called in a mistaken request for emergency assistance and there is no emergency, please call 911 to tell them it was a false alarm generated from your phone or vehicle. That way responders can stand down and do not have to search for an incident that does not exist.

“We all appreciate safety features that help us, but when it is a false alarm, it can tax emergency responder’s resources,” notes Carol Dollard, RCVFD Assistant Chief. “This problem is not unique to the RCVFD, but rather extends throughout the emergency response community.”

To learn more, visit the RCVFD emergency responder’s booth at the RCVFD Mountain Festival, Sept. 12. All proceeds benefit the department, a 501(c)3 entity. The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 11835 Rist Canyon Road in Bellvue, CO.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Liz Barnez, Wendy Woo, Also Known As (AKA), and the Gordon Creek Band. Come rain or shine, the festival will feature free live music presented on-stage in front of a large covered viewing tent, firefighter demonstrations, kid’s activity area, nonprofit booths, car show, tractor shuttle to and from the parking area, and the ever popular-free ice cream. The festival also features used books, plants, baked goods, silent auction, and t-shirt sales; a firefighter dunk tank; and food trucks. For more information visit www.festival.RCVFD.org or on Facebook.com/RCMountainFest.

Source: Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department
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