(HOUSTON, TX) July 6, 2023 – Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network (GHC 9-1-1) announces that this summer the public is being reminded about the appropriate use of 9-1-1 through several public service messages in a campaign titled “Don’t Call Us for That!.” The objective of this campaign is to reduce the number of non-emergency and accidental calls to 9-1-1 to ensure the continued success of the 9-1-1 emergency service.
Calls to 9-1-1 for non-emergencies such as reports of power or water outages, lost dogs, noise disturbances or keys locked in cars are consistently on the rise. Non-emergency calls can tie up valuable resources for real emergencies and delay care for those truly need help.
The “Don’t Call Us for That” campaign uses humorous non-emergency scenarios as catchy musical numbers to highlight the real problem and the consequence of calling 9-1-1 for non-emergencies. The campaign is being released through television, radio, social media, and various streaming outlets and will run through the summer, when call centers see an increase in call volume including non-emergency calls. The commercials will air in both English and Spanish.
Click below to view the commercials in English:
GHC911 – Dog & Internet
GHC911 – Ticket & Pipe
Click below to view the commercials in Spanish:
GHC 911 – Perro e Internet
GHC 911 – Multa y Tuberia
Help save the emergency phone lines for true emergencies—police, fire, or medical assistance.
In addition to the “Don’t Call Us for That” campaign, GHC 9-1-1 is promoting various social media campaigns to help reduce the number of non-emergency and accidental calls by informing the public of useful resources:
• “Deactivated Phones” informs the public about the ability of disconnected phones to dial 9-1-1. Many of the accidental calls 9-1-1 call centers receive are from children playing with old, disconnected phones.
• “Know Your Phone” informs users of various mobile devices (iPhone, Android) about the built in “SOS” safety features and the importance of understanding your device features to prevent accidental calls to 9-1-1.
• “Stay on the Phone” informs the public about the importance of staying on the line until you speak to a 9-1-1 calltaker when calling for an emergency. Hanging up and calling back will only delay help.
• “Who to Call” gives the public alternate contacts for non-emergency calls.
GHC 9-1-1 is the largest 9-1-1 system in Texas administering the 9-1-1 telecommunications and technology infrastructure for 49 cities wholly or partially within Harris and Fort Bend Counties. There are 37 call centers which handle 4 million calls and texts annually. For more information, go to 911.org website.
