The Davao City Central 911 on Monday urged residents to stop making prank calls to the 911 hotline, warning that such acts drain critical resources amid rising fuel prices.
In a media interview after the weekly flag ceremony Monday, Central 911 head Alfredo Baloran highlighted that the city’s emergency response operations should be taken seriously and should only be used for real emergencies, as the office continues to maximize resources amid rising fuel costs.
“Karon nagataas ang prices sa crude oil nga ginagamit nato, dili lang gyud diha but prices sa medicines and other commodities ang atong ginagamit. For now, ang atong opisina, akong marching order is to maximize operations kay daghan kaayo og prank calls (Right now, the prices of crude oil we use are increasing—not only that, but also the prices of medicines and other commodities we rely on. For now, my marching order for the office is to maximize operations because there are so many prank calls),” he said.
He explained that prank calls often result in unnecessary dispatches, wasting fuel and manpower that should be reserved for real emergencies.
“Hangyo lang mi nga dili nato i-prank ang pagtawag og emergency, labi na karon nga taas ang presyo sa krudo. Masayang ang atong resources kay magdagan ang ambulansya unya pag-adto didto wala diay (We are appealing to the public not to prank emergency numbers, especially now that fuel prices are high. Our resources are wasted when ambulances are dispatched, only to find out there is no real emergency),” he added.
Despite the challenges, Baloran assured that all incoming calls are treated seriously and responded to, as responders cannot immediately determine whether a call is legitimate.
He also warned of the potential consequences of prank calls, stressing that such behavior could delay assistance to those in genuine need.
“Dili lang gyud binuangan atong mga tawag kay basin puhon nga nagbinuang ka, ikaw ang manginahanglan unya dili ka marespondehan (Emergency calls should not be treated as a joke because there may come a time when you are the one in need, and help may not reach you),” he said.
Baloran reiterated that the 911 hotline is strictly for emergencies and called on Dabawenyos to use it responsibly to ensure timely response for those who truly need help. CIO Written by: K.Cañedo, Edited by: A.Nawal
