If you call 999, stay on the line

When someone contacts us or needs our help, our priority is to ensure they are safe.

Which is why when you call our emergency line, we need you to talk to us; even if you have misdialled or called by accident.

If you abandon a 999 call and we can’t get hold of you, we don’t know if you are in fact at risk and need our help.

Demand for our services is high with around 300 calls every month abandoned. We want to reduce this so that our Contact Centre officers can focus on answering the calls from those who need our help the most.

Supt Bonnie Moore, from our Contact Centre, said:

“We understand that when someone picks up the phone to call the emergency services, their emotions are heightened. And we also know that the public’s understanding of what an emergency is, differs. But our ultimate concern is making sure the person at the end of the line is safe.
“Accidents and misdials happen. But the worst thing someone can do is hang up when they realised they’ve called 999 by mistake. This is because our officers will need to spend considerable time trying to contact or locate the person who has called to make sure they are ok. This means they then can’t help anyone else who is calling us in an emergency.
“All we ask, is that if you call us in error then stay on the phone. Let us know you’re ok, and we can direct our services to where they need to be.”

A 999 call is recorded as ‘abandoned’ when the line is disconnected before the caller speaks to a member of the emergency services or confirms to a 999 operator that they are safe and well.

There are lots of reasons someone may abandon a call. It could be a child accidentally calling 999. It could be someone who hangs up once they realise another person is on the phone to the emergency services about the same thing. Or it could be a ‘pocket dial’, where the phone is not locked, or accidently activated the emergency SOS button, which is installed on a lot of smart phones.

Supt Moore added:

“We’re want to continue proving the best service possible for our communities. But we need your help.
“If you’ve called us by mistake, or no longer need our help, stay on the line to let us know.
“We need to reduce the amount of time we spend dealing with abandoned calls so that we can focus on helping those who need us the most.”

At Essex Police, we value difference. We know we’re strongest when we work together. And we want a workforce that represents our communities. 

If you share our values and want to help people, keep people safe and catch criminals, then join us as a police officer, member of staff, special constable or volunteer.

Find out if you #FitTheBill by visiting our careers page.

We currently have job opportunities in our Contact Centre. If you'd like to learn what to do when someone calls 999 and how you can help them, visit our Contact Centre page. Here you will find out more about the role and how you can join the team.