Denver - The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is urging consumers to learn how automated emergency features work on their smartphones and wearable devices. Over the last several years, both Apple iOS and Android smartphones have gained the ability to automatically dial 9-1-1 in certain circumstances, and this ability extends to some wearable devices, such as the Apple Watch.
While potentially life-saving, the features could cause many unnecessary 9-1-1 calls to 9-1-1 centers throughout Colorado. The increase in unnecessary 9-1-1 calls can result in delays for actual emergencies.
One example is the Apple Watch, which has an optional feature that will call 9-1-1 if it detects that the wearer has fallen. While beneficial, it’s also caused an increase in unnecessary calls to 9-1-1 centers, particularly in the winter months when people may fall while enjoying recreational sports.
Colorado consumers are encouraged to learn what emergency features exist on their phones and wearable devices and how to adjust the settings so that they can enjoy the additional safety and security of having such features available to them, without causing unnecessary 9-1-1 calls to potentially overwhelm local 9-1-1 centers.
If you have any questions, please contact 303-894-2871.