On February 23, 2023, a Steinbach woman called 911 to complain about the long wait time at the new Burger King drive-thru in the city. The non-emergency call prompted the Manitoba RCMP to take to social media on February 24, 2023, to remind the public that 911 is only for emergencies. The tweet, which contained a tongue-in-cheek comment, stated that calling 911 for a non-emergent matter like a long lineup at a fast-food restaurant is not a valid reason to dial 911. The RCMP media relations officer, Tara Seel, highlighted that such calls can tie up operators who could be dealing with an emergency. In an interview on February 24, 2023, Seel stated that people should only call 911 in emergency situations that require immediate assistance.
According to CBC News, this incident is not the only one of its kind. Recently, someone called Manitoba RCMP to inquire about where they could find a Zamboni that weekend, which is another example of a call that should not be made to 911.
It is speculated that dozens of calls are made to 911 per hour warning of people making unnecessary calls to 911.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/911-call-steinbach-rcmp-burger-king-lineup-1.6760016
