Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-03-09, Page 15Wednesday, March 9, 2016 • Huron Expositor 15 Seaforth Manor donates big Valuable police resources wasted on non -emergent 9-1-1 calls (From left to right)- from the Seaforth Manor Nursing & Retirement Home, Cathy Stewart (General Manager, Marilyn Kramers, Patrick Newington and Dorothy Dillon (all retirement home residents) and Janelle Bondi (Retirement Home Manager). The residents photographed either donated their time or money to the cause of collecting food to donate to the Seaforth & District Food Bank. They also asked staff, family members, friends and community members to donate what they could. POLICE BRIEFS IMPAIRED CARE & CONTROL CHARGE LAID (HURON EAST, ON) —A 32 -year-old from Huron East will be making a trip to court this April following an inci- dent that took place in Sea - forth this past weekend. At approximately 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 28, 2016 a Huron County Ontario Pro- vincial Police (OPP) officer observed a white GMC Sierra pickup truck parked at the Seaforth Agriplex located on Duke Street. The officer pulled up to the pickup truck and observed the engine run- ning and a driver occupying the driver's seat. The officer watched as the driver quickly exited the truck and began to walk away from the pickup. The officer approached the male and began to question him. Upon speaking with the male the officer noted the driver to have alcohol on his breath. Additionally, the driver displayed several signs that indicated his ability to drive was impaired by alcohol. He was placed under arrest for Impaired Care & Control and was taken to the Huron OPP Detachment for breath tests. He subsequently provided two samples of his breath to a qualified lntoxilizerTechni- cian and both readings reg- istered over the legal limit. As a result, the 32 -year-old from Huron East has been charged with care or control while impaired and care or control over 80 milligrams of alcohol. He has been released from custody with a court appearance scheduled for the Ontario Court of Justice — Goderich on April 4. He also received an automatic 90 -day driver's licence suspension and his motor vehicle was impounded for seven days. A Tea Party & Storytelling Afternoon for Children featuring Marie Black Sat. March 19,1:30-3:00 p.m. St. Thomas Anglican Church, Seaforth. Come dressed in your favourite fairytale costume. • Cupcakes, Tea & Juice • Donation Appreciated Pocket dials from cell phones and accidental 9-1-1 misdials continue to be a problem for many police ser- vices including the OPP. Over five per cent of Huron County OPP's calls for service in 2015 were for 9-1-1 calls that were non -emergencies. A closer look at Huron County OPP's nearly 1000 non -emergent 9-1-1 calls identifies pocket dials and accidental dials as the main source. Pocket dials and acci- dental 9-1-1 calls accounted for a staggering 75% of these calls. Children playing on the phone, line transmission problems, callers looking for other agency numbers & road condition updates accounted for the remaining 25%. "Pocket dials and acciden- tal 9-1-1 dials continue to be an issue for emergency responders. Everyone needs to know that the misuse and abuse of the 9-1-1 system may result in a slower OPP response to a real emergency, risking the safety of people who may need urgent help. And furthermore, a significant amount of our valuable and limited resources are utilized every day responding to pocket dials and accidental 9-1-1 calls. With some addi- tional education and awareness on this issue, we are hopeful to see a reduction in these ill placed calls, sai Inspector Jason Younan, Detachment Commander for the Huron County OPP. A large number of the acci- dental calls to Provincial Communication Centre (PCC) are attributed to people trying to call overseas, check- ing voice mail or touching a pre-programmed 9-1-1 but- ton on their phone. In one case, a caller reported her cat stepped on the phone to make the emergency call. Be advised, once the call is placed it is absolutely impera- tive to stay on the line and tell the call taker what happened. If you hang up the phone an operator will call back to ensure the caller's safety. Also, an OPP officer will be dispatched to every identifia- ble location of all 9-1-1 calls to ensure the safety of the person who made the call. Don't hang up if you dial in error, Stay on the Line. Pocket dials are those calls that occur when a cell phone is left insecure in a location such as a pocket, handbag, purse or backpack. These fre- quent calls often result in officers spending a significant amount of time trying to track down the caller, particularly Make Your OM. Dm, nr -nail, Wink. farm ism dr' korcd U4 kirl ;ICm 5 c.11tiEIl 1524-2323 AW439553! :