UK firefighters threaten to put hoax 911 calls online, disconnect phone service

September 18, 2009 12:34 PM

The Crewe Guardian

CREWE, England — Hoax callers in South Cheshire are being warned by fire chiefs that their voices could be played on the Fire and Rescue Service’s website.

They are also being told and that their mobile phones could be disconnected by control operators.

In Cheshire East, 60 malicious calls have been made to the service’s control room since January this year.

Fire appliances and firefighters were called to each incident to find out that they were hoax calls.

Alex Waller, group manager for Cheshire East, said: “Making hoax calls is not a laughing matter and will be treated as a serious crime.

“Hoax callers put the lives of people in Cheshire East at risk because fire appliances may not be available to respond to real emergencies when needed. “I want hoax callers to seriously think about the consequences of their actions as we will work closely with the police to catch those responsible and prosecute them accordingly. “I would also urge anyone who has information about people making hoax calls to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Police Liaison Officer for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service Nigel Mills said: “Wasting the time of the emergency services could cost lives. “This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and positive action will be taken. “Hoax calls, which could potentially put lives in danger, will be thoroughly investigated and offenders will be prosecuted. “If anyone has any information about who could be making these calls then please do come forward.”

“We would also urge parents to speak to their children about this issue and to re-enforce these important messages. “Hoax calls are a priority in Cheshire East and we are taking robust steps to detect the people making these calls and to prosecute them. “This is an opportunity for those involved to stop this behaviour before they formally come to our attention.”

Some previous hoax calls can be heard on the service’s website www.cheshirefire.gov.uk under the Public Safety Campaigns section.