RALEIGH – The North Carolina Utilities Commission cautions customers to use care when making local calls beginning with 919. Since 10-digit dialing for local calls went into effect, there has been an increase in non-emergency and hang-up calls to 911.
If you make a mistake and dial 911 instead of 919, DO NOT HANG UP but remain on the line to advise that 911 was called in error. Police or other emergency response personnel will automatically be sent to the source of the call if you hang up without informing the 911 Center of the error. The Centers are required to treat hang-up calls as actual emergencies unless there is immediate verification of an inadvertent calling error.
Again, if you dial 911 by mistake, stay on the line and advise the 911 Center that you made the call in error. This courtesy will save lives and assure that resources are dispatched only for actual emergencies.
About the North Carolina Utilities Commission
The North Carolina Utilities Commission is an agency created in 1891 by the North Carolina General Assembly to regulate the rates and services of public utilities. It is the oldest regulatory body in state government. Today, the Commission regulates providers of energy, telephony services, water, transportation, household goods and more. For additional information on the North Carolina Utilities Commission, visit www.ncuc.net.