Crash Detection Devices and Apps Call 911 with False Alarms When Skiers Fall-Improve Dispatch Performance

Carbon County Sheriff's Dispatch responds to emergency calls and uses false alarms to improve performance

By Denise Rivette

With the onset of fresh snow, there has been a surge in false alarms emanating from crash detection devices and applications from the ski mountain. Sheriff Josh McQuillan of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office asks that everyone enjoying the snow around Red Lodge rest assured that Carbon County Dispatch is equipped with cutting edge technology that allows them to see where a call originates and track that phone. This, coupled with standard protocol and experience, allow dispatchers to determine if a call is an actual emergency or a false alarm.

There have been reports of the iPhone saving people trapped in car accidents primarily through its satellite SOS feature introduced in 2019 which allows one to place a call to 911 by pressing and holding down the side buttons or by pressing the side button five times rapidly. The SOS feature has also aided in the reporting of assaults and other crimes in progress allowing law enforcement to respond promptly. While this has largely been hailed as a mostly useful tool, the latest innovation has been met with less enthusiasm from some in law enforcement, especially in ski resort areas where overburdened law enforcement resources can be stretched even thinner by false alarms.

In 2023, Apple introduced the crash detection feature on its iPhone 14 and the Apple Watch lineup. While well intentioned, the unintended consequence of this feature (that automatically calls 911 when it detects a crash) is that people carrying their phones while engaging in activities that regularly involve falling down or stopping abruptly end up regularly calling 911 and often having resources dispatched to the site of their phone unnecessarily.

While many jurisdictions request skiers turn off their crash detectors while skiing, McQuillan has a different approach. He would rather receive a few more false alarms than have someone drive away without turning their detector back on only to need it en route. Dispatch even found a way to use the false alarms as a gauge to ensure their system is accurate and in sync.

When an automatic 911 call is generated while someone is skiing, the skier may be unaware that a call has been generated or that Dispatch has tried to call them several times to check on them. While that skier continues to enjoy the slopes with their phone safely and silently tucked away under layers of clothing, Dispatch is watching two screens from different programs to make sure that the phone is moving on both screens like an uninjured skier before canceling the call. If you should discover your phone has made an emergency call while skiing in Carbon County, please call Dispatch at (406) 446-1234 to confirm that you are safe and to confirm where you were skiing so they can make sure that the programs they use plotted your location correctly. In this way, you can also be sure your phone is transmitting properly, and everyone gets the most benefit from the event.

If a device accidently calls 911, Dispatch will make numerous attempts to reach the owner to confirm if there is an emergency. Carbon County Dispatch is required to call back and respond to all 911 hang ups and misdials.