In order to prevent an influx of nuisance calls that could block emergency calls from reaching a call taker, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications activated a non-emergency line during the Fourth of July holiday.
Extra call takers were on hand for the emergency and non-emergency lines. Emergency Communications, which typically averages 1,500 911 calls a day, received the following number of calls over the holiday:
Nuisance complaints to the non-emergency line:
- 6:30 p.m., July 3, to 3 a.m., July 4 – 252 calls, compared to 145 in 2015
- 6:30 p.m., July 4, to 3 a.m., July 5 – 378 calls, compared to 398 in 2015
911 calls:
- Over the holiday, Emergency Communications answered an average of 2,600 calls per day, last year the agency answered an average of 1,908 calls per day.
“I am very proud of our team at Emergency Communications,” said Elora Forshee, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications director. “The non-emergency line gets busier every year which is good because it means that citizens see the importance and value of it. This year, we had a heavy call volume due to fireworks and weather but we were ready and calls were answered promptly.”