Social media iPhone prank ties up local 911 call centers

EVERETT — Snohomish County’s 911 centers are asking people to refrain from a social media prank that was tying up dispatchers on Thursday morning.

At least a dozen of the 911 prank calls had been reported by SNOPAC, the dispatch center based in Everett, by noon, director Kurt Mills said.

Somehow, a rumor began gaining ground on social media, including Facebook, encouraging people to ask Siri, the iPhone robot personality, to call the European equivalent of 911. The European number is 112.

“Siri is smart, and dials 9-1-1 which is tying up operators making it harder for others to report real emergencies,” Mills said. “Please don’t fall for this prank.”