As a police call-taker, Kuzivakwashe Mujakachi approaches every incoming call as an emergency – because they usually are.
When someone calls about a neighbour’s chicken, Mujakachi doesn’t get frustrated, instead promptly seeing an opportunity to educate.
Mujakachi related the farm animal story as part of a larger educational campaign launched by E-Comm at the end of each year. The emergency call-taking agency releases its Top 10 unusual 911 calls of 2024.
“I’ve handled many a very unusual call. My personal one didn’t make it to the list this year… I had somebody calling in because they were very upset about their neighbour’s chicken. It was doing a little too much in the morning, it was a little too loud and so they were very frustrated, which I can understand early mornings are not fun, but it’s definitely not something for the 911 line,” Mujakachi said.
The Top 10 did include complaints about a dry cleaner, McDonalds, rotten avocados and domesticated-looking bunnies in the park.
Another neighbour complaint stands out for Mujakachi – someone calling about their neighbour wearing too much cologne.
“I can understand it’s overwhelming… but it’s definitely not a call for the 911 emergency line,” she said. The line is to direct resources for life-and-death emergencies – whether medical or criminal in nature – and crimes in progress.
“Every single second counts,” Mujakachi noted, “You hear people say ‘they got there just in time’. So imagine if there was a 10-second delay, those little seconds really, really count and I see this every day that I work here.”
For many, someone calling the emergency line about a power outage or seeking directions to a 24/7 Shoppers Drug Mart (both on the Top 10 this year) might be a source of frustration or even anger over misuse of the service.
“I think we all have a very good understanding that nobody wants to call 911… nobody’s having a great day when they have to call 911 so we don’t get frustrated. It doesn’t occur to me to become angered by a caller,” Mujakachi said, seated in a corner cubicle at the Saanich emergency call centre.
The last day of 2024 starts quiet, with just murmurs coming from adjacent call-takers. It’s frequently more noisy – and likely to get busier as 2025 approaches. E-Comm handles about two million 911 calls per year over two sites, an average day for one call-taker can include 40 calls, some less necessary than others.
Four years in, it’s a calling Mujakachi finds fulfills her purpose in life to be of “service before self”.
“We are ready to help. I think our predisposition is just being ready to serve. Whether or not this person is maybe being abusive on the line or maybe calling me names on the line, I’m still prepared to help.”
Tips for 911 use include knowing your location, not programming 911 into a phone, preventing accidental calls and staying on the line if you do call accidentally.
“If you do call 911 and it is not an emergency, if it’s a pocket dial or a mistake, stay on the line and let us know you are OK,” she said. That too can essentially become a nuisance call as the call-taker worries about the caller and their situation.
That said, Mujakachi emphasized that people shouldn’t hesitate to call if they’re unsure.
“One of the main things I will always vouch for is if you are unsure at all, please don’t hesitate to use the 911 line. if you are unsure as to whether your emergency is a real emergency or not, we are trained to guide you correctly. So if you are not sure, I will be sure for you,” she said.
Advice to callers though: when the call-taker guides, go gracefully.
“It can be a little challenging when somebody tries to argue their case to stay on the emergency line.”
Those looking to be prepared can visit nonemergency.ca to familiarize themselves with a list of alternate resources for reporting non-emergencies.
Top 10 list of 911 calls that shouldn't have been made in 2024
- Their neighbour was wearing too much cologne
- The dry cleaners stained their shirt
- McDonald’s wouldn’t open their doors
- They wanted directions to a 24/7 Shoppers Drug Mart
- Complaining the power was out
- Requesting technical support
- The box of 38 avocados they purchased were rotten
- They left their phone in an Uber
- Requesting help removing a wasp nest
- There was a domesticated-looking bunny in the park
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