Boise Beware of the 911 Myth Resurfacing on Social Media

Mind-blowing facts? More like dangerous misinformation. 

Facebook pages like "Mind-Blowing Facts" are a dime a dozen in the social media circuit. If you've seen one, you've likely seen them all.

They're the pages chock full of low-quality digital content created to enlighten the sheeple. You know the kind. Always searching for the next great influencer to worship or a trend to adopt, they're the last to know when they're been played and manipulated for likes and follows.

That's what makes an old social media myth like the one I scrolled across tonight so dangerous 😳

FYI: if you think you're being followed in Boise...

don't call 911 pretending to order a pizza. Remember that one? Yeah...it's back.

When it started making the rounds on social media about a decade ago, it quickly caught the attention of concerned first responders, teachers, and parents.

And rightfully so.

At no point in time were Idaho State Police, Boise P.D. or Ada County 911 dispatchers trained to identify or associate a request for "pizza" as a discreet solicitation for help during a crisis or emergency.

In 2017, Snopes, the internet's go-to fact-checker, caught wind of a new version of the circulation Reddit. This version indicated that dispatchers were, in fact, trained on the life-saving "pizza protocol." Again, not true.

IF YOU NEED TO CALL 999 BUT ARE SCARED TO BECAUSE OF SOMEONE IN THE ROOM, dial and ask for a pepperoni pizza. They will ask if you know you’re calling 999. Say yes, and continue pretending you’re making an order. They’ll ask if there’s someone in the room. You can ask how long it will take for the pizza to get to you, and they will tell you how far away a patrol unit is. Share this to save a life!!! Dispatchers are trained to ask specific yes or no questions..don't hang up!

-Snopes

 

If you think you're being followed in Boise, try this...

Stay calm, avoid a knee-jerk reaction, and simply call 911. Waste no time in sharing your concerns, the situation, and your location with first responders. Typically, dispatchers will contact and notify the police closest to you and send them to your location.

Keep scrolling for...

• 6 dark conspiracy theories about Idaho celebrities

• the cold case of the severed torso found in an Idaho cave

• 7 eerie Idaho urban legends to share around the campfire