PORTAGE, Wis. – Imagine taking a simple fall down a ski hill, and just as you’re ready to make your way back to the top for another go, fire, EMS and law enforcement all rush over to make sure you’re okay.
Columbia County 911 coordinator Elisabeth Schutz said a safety feature on iPhone 14s and some Apple Watches has led to about a dozen accidental calls to their dispatch center since November.
The emergency SOS setting causing much ado about nothing is a crash detection feature, like the ones in cars only more sensitive. Apple’s latest iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, as well as Apple Watch Series 8, SE and Ultra models, come with the new feature.
Apple bills the technology as a way to get help in an emergency — even when you’re unresponsive — but it can lead to false alarms.
So far, more than one call has come from people falling at an area ski spot, according to Schutz.
“(The) first one came in Cascade Mountain,” she said. “[Another] one we had was a gentleman driving a tractor. He jumped off the tractor and it thought he had fallen, in fact, he was just in his field doing farm work and everything was okay.”
The Columbia County Sheriff’s office is recommending Apple users turn off the feature when they know they’ll be engaging in high-impact, low-risk activities to help make sure emergency resources are only dispatched where needed.
However, for people not keen on turning it off, Schutz said the best thing you can do once an accidental call is made is stay on the line.
“You’re not going to be in trouble for it going off,” she said. “We really just want to make sure you’re okay.”
Click or tap here to learn more, including how to disable the feature.
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