Police advice: Don’t call 911 for turkey cooking tips
Nov 25, 2015, 5:01 PM | Updated: 5:59 pm
South Sound 911 received a phone call from a concerned resident who needed turkey cooking tips. Local law enforcement agencies are now reminding people that 911 is not for cooking tips. (AP)
(AP)
We want everyone to have a safe and happy Thanksgiving… but if you have turkey questions, the Butterball hotline is a better resource than 911. #TrueStory 1-800-BUTTERBALL
Posted by South Sound 911 on Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Puget Sound area law enforcement agencies are reminding residents that 9-1-1 is for emergencies — not for turkey cooking tips.
As South Sound 911 noted in the above video, pulled from an actual call they received, the dispatch service is not intended for cooking tips. South Sound 911 takes emergency calls for the Tacoma and surrounding area. Though, it commonly receives calls from a concerned residents seeking Thanksgiving cooking advice, as featured in the video.
It is apparently an annual problem during the Thanksgiving season as KIRO Radio reporter Kim Shepard found out. After reading a tweet from the Seattle Police Department stating that 9-1-1 is not meant for turkey tips, Shepard quipped back, “What about for turkey emergencies?”
But Washington state’s emergency management division was quick to write Shepard that it is a serious problem during Thanksgiving time — people actually do call 9-1-1 for cooking advice. But that can tie up the phone line meant for getting emergency services to those in need.
If Washingtonians are suffering from a turkey-cooking crisis, advice can be found through the Butterball hotline at 1-800-BUTTERBALL.
.@SeattlePD But, what if it's a turkey emergency?!
— Kim Shepard (@SeattleShepard) November 25, 2015
@SeattleShepard Sadly, this happened. https://t.co/sClWWYCdX0
— WA Emergency Mgmt (@waEMD) November 26, 2015
