Yantai cracks down on prank emergency calls

Yantai Municipal Government is urging 110 callers to think first before picking up their phones, as a shocking percentage of emergency calls in the Shandong province city have been found to be inappropriate.

Local authorities estimate that more than 75 percent of the 1.75 million calls made to the emergency number every year in the city are inappropriate or do not require an emergency response.

The 110 is only for emergency cases. Whenever a bogus or prank call is made, resources and attention are diverted away from someone who has a genuine emergency situation.

On July 24, Yantai government issued a circular, listing the situations in which people should or should not dial the emergency 110 number.

According to the document, it's improper to dial 110 in non-emergency cases such as seeking social assistance or legal help, requesting repairs to an apartment’s water, electricity, gas or heating systems, or reporting that the caller has locked themselves out of their apartment.

The circular also reminds callers that the emergency services are not responsible for dealing with disputes related to money, personal relations, consumption, transactions, labor and land.

The 110 hotline also should not be used by whistleblowers reporting activities breaching administrative laws and regulations, or by those wishing to complain about government organs and public institutions and their staff members, the circular said.

The public should not call the 110 for information related to laws, regulations and policies, and the functions of government departments and public institutions, according to the circular.

Instead, the public should call the 110 to report information about criminal cases or illegal criminal activities, mass incidents that endanger personal and property safety and public order, according to the document.

Other appropriate calls include reporting irregularities by public security departments and policemen.

Yantai Municipal Government issues a circular on July 24, listing the situations in which people should or should not dial the emergency 110 number. [Photo/dzwww.com]