'Pocket dialing' has consequences for 911 dispatchers, police

"People need to familiarize themselves with their phone," she said.

People also need to realize that even if a cellphone is disconnected from a service provider, it can still connect to 911. Because of that, Randall advises parents not to allow children to use old cellphones as toys unless the battery is removed.

A "911 hangup" call also occurs when someone dials 911 and lets the phone ring, but hangs up before the dispatcher picks up. Even though the caller didn't actually talk to anyone, the dispatcher still has record of that person and has to call back to verify whether everything is OK.

The worst scenario, Randall said, is when a caller becomes "impatient" and dials 911, hangs up, and dials 911 again. At that point, two or three dispatchers could become tied up trying to talk to the same person.

"Those create additional work for us," she said.

Similarly, if there is a public incident — like a big accident on the freeway — several people may all call 911 at the same time. Sometimes a person will hang up after letting it ring two or three times, believing that someone else has already called. Once a person calls 911, they should commit to stay on the line until a dispatcher talks to them, Randall advised.

"If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line. 'Hey sorry, just put my phone away.' We've all done pocket dials, not necessarily to 911. Stay on the line so we can try and verify that and we don't have to track you down," she said.

E-mail: preavy@desnews.com

Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam