§ 105-78 — Abandoned 911 Calls

105-78. Abandoned 911 Calls.

1. FINDINGS. The common council finds that abandoned, unintentional or phantom calls to the city’s “911” emergency phone number, because they must be answered by police telecommunicators and require call-backs to the telephone or wireless device, consume and waste valuable police time that could otherwise be used to respond to intentional “911” calls, some of which involve actual life-threatening emergencies. The common council further finds that responding to abandoned, unintentional or phantom “911” calls drains city financial resources. 2. REPEATED CALLS PROHIBITED. No owner of a telephone or wireless device shall cause or permit to cause 3 or more abandoned, unintentional or phantom calls from the telephone or wireless device to the city’s “911” emergency phone number within a calendar year. 3. PENALTIES. Any person violating sub. 2 shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than $50 nor more $100 for the 3rd abandoned, unintentional or phantom call to the “911” number in a calendar year. Subsequent calls within the same calendar year shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $250 each. 4. TELEPHONE SERVICE CARRIER ASSISTANCE. The provider or carrier of the telephone service of the telephone or wireless device from which 3 or more abandoned, unintentional or phantom calls to the “911” number are transmitted in a calendar year shall, upon request, provide the police department with the name and mailing address of the owner of the telephone or wireless device. If the telephone service provider or carrier fails to provide this information to the police department within 72 hours of the request, the provider or carrier shall be subject to the penalties in sub. 3.