Penticton RCMP are urging people to make sure children understand the dangers misusing the 911 emergency number after a six-year-old boy kept dispatchers busy for about 40 minutes one day last week.

The boy, who, at the time, was not under the direct supervision of has grandfather at a residence on Hemlock Street, made the first call to 911 on March 14 at 1:20 p.m. reporting a robbery at the Penticton Regional Airport.

As police were responding the child called again to report a fire and a short time later called to say his mother had fallen and he was phoning from Chilliwack.

Police were eventually able to find the location where the calls originated.

鈥淭he boy was spoken to at length by police officers with regards to making false reports to 911,鈥� said Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth. 鈥淧olice are asking parents to have that conversation with their children about the importance of the 911 emergency dispatch system and that when these types of things happen an actual serious call where someone is in need of emergency assistances could be delayed and affect a life and death situation.鈥�

He added police have to respond to all 911 calls they are dispatched to.

鈥淲e look into it and we want to make contact with the caller and we want to find out where the caller is and get more information and the seriousness (of the call),鈥� said Wrigglesworth. 鈥淲e would want to glean more information as to exactly what鈥檚 happening. When they hang up it would appear that would be a false call by a young child and that would come across in our dispatch ticket.鈥�