"I'm calling you because my sofa is stuck in my stairwell ..." Welcome to the daily life of the emergency calls platform (17, 112 and 18) in Paris. In this high-tech operational center in the 17th arrondissement (the largest in Europe), the police and the Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP) handle over a million calls a year.
Nearly one in three finishes classified under the label “abusive calls”. A constantly increasing figure in recent years. Calls that would lend a smile (or even a frank laugh), but whose constant rise can disrupt the proper functioning of the service.
These wacky calls indeed mobilize firefighters and lengthen the waiting time for people calling for real emergencies. Theoretically, these abuses can result in a fine of € 7,500 and six months' imprisonment.