People who make prank calls to the 119 emergency response number can be fined NT$3,000 to NT$15,000, the Ministry of the Interior said on Saturday.
The ministry issued the reminder as it released data from last year showing that dispatchers nationwide received 2.4 million 119 calls, of which about 1.07 million, or nearly 45 percent, were not for an emergency or did not requiring immediate action by authorities.
That means nearly 3,000 pranks or calls that were not emergencies were made per day — a waste of resources as they interfered with real emergencies, the ministry said in a statement.
The 1.07 million calls included callers remaining silent, hanging up, saying they have dialed the wrong number, requesting information, making deliberate pranks, calling while intoxicated or while not in a normal mental state, and deliberately deceiving the dispatcher, as well as children playing with the telephone, ministry officials said.
The largest proportion of the 1.07 million callers — 23.46 percent — remained silent or hung up, ministry data showed.
In December last year, emergency dispatchers received 333 calls within three days from the same person, none of which were for real emergencies, officials said, adding that despite repeated warnings, the caller persisted.
The fire department finally fined the offender NT$3,000 to deter them, they said.
People should not call 119 unless it is an emergency, as the number is for people in real need, the ministry said, adding that under the Fire Services Act (消防法), people who make false reports about emergency incidents, pranks or irrelevant calls to 119 can be fined NT$3,000 to NT$15,000.
To enable emergency dispatchers to facilitate a quick response, the ministry reminded people to be brief when providing information on a 119 call.
Important information includes when and what happened, whether firefighters or an ambulance are required, and an address or nearby location or landmark, the ministry said.
The caller’s identity and contact telephone number are also required, it said.
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