St. Thomas Police Service Joins First-Ever Provincewide Campaign to Combat 9-1-1 Misuse

St. Thomas Police Service Joins First-Ever Provincewide Campaign to Combat 9-1-1 Misuse

St. Thomas, ON – April 30th 2025

The St. Thomas Police Service has joined the first-ever provincewide campaign to tackle 9-1-1 misuse, an issue that continues to strain emergency services. The Emergency Services Steering Committee (ESSC) has launched the “When Every Second Counts” campaign aimed at reducing non-emergency 9-1-1 calls and educating the public on proper use of 9-1-1.

9-1-1 is for life-threatening or urgent emergencies, yet we continue to see calls made for reasons ranging from minor inconveniences to non-emergency situations that can be handled through other channels. Calls for lost items, noise complaints, or even pocket dials take time away from real emergencies. It’s critical that we ensure 9-1-1 lines remain open for those in urgent need.

Last year, our 9-1-1 operators received over 4,300 9-1-1 calls, with approximately 53% being non-emergency-related. The St. Thomas Police Service averages 7, 9-1-1 calls a day that are non-emergencies or accidental dials/hang ups.

Across Ontario, police services report that nearly half of all 9-1-1 calls are for non-emergencies.

The St. Thomas Police Service is committed to ensuring our residents have access to the right information and resources. As part of the “When Every Second Counts” campaign, residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with alternative non-emergency numbers such as our non-emergency police number 519-631-1224 and our online reporting tools 

For more information about the “When Every Second Counts” campaign and resources on proper emergency call usage, visit this link