New iPhone notifications let local firefighters respond to non-existent ‘crashes’

SUAMICO, Wis. (WBAY) – The Suamico Fire Department is reminding residents with iPhones to double-check their phone settings.

The fire department says the new updates and new phones have crash notifications, meaning emergency services can be automatically notified of a vehicle accident. But sometimes there is no crash and the phone simply experiences some major impact, such as falling to the ground.

The fire department says when residents leave their phones in their vehicles and drive away, the phone ends up on the sidewalk, notifying dispatch of a car crash. This ensures that fire engines, police officers and ambulances respond to a perceived accident.

“We have been dispatched to numerous accidents only to find a phone on the road,” the Suamico fire department said in a statement Facebook post.

For more information and to disable the setting on your iPhone: check out Apple’s website.

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