Walla Walla smartwatch users: Help prevent accidentally calling 911
By Dan Thesman on Thursday, December 4th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Smartwatches are useful for tracking fitness, monitoring health, and calling for help in emergencies. However, they can mistakenly call 911 due to sudden movements or hard jolts, according to staff at Walla Walla Emergency Service Communications (WESCOM), better known as dispatch.
If a watch detects a serious fall or crash, it sounds an alarm and shows an alert. Smartwatch users can either call emergency services or dismiss the alert, but if there isn’t a response, the watch will automatically call after 20 seconds. When 911 receives a silent call, they will try to call back from an unknown number. It’s important to answer these calls to confirm your safety.
Common activities that may trigger false calls include skiing, weightlifting, playing contact sports, running, biking, participating in water sports, and using power tools.
To avoid unnecessary calls, smartwatch owners should check their watch settings, stay aware during high-motion activities, answer unknown calls, increase the watch’s volume, and inform emergency contacts about possible alerts. Keep 911 lines open for real emergencies.
Image via WESCOM
