Newer phones are equipped with a feature that will automatically dial 9-1-1 if there is a heavy impact or repeated impact.

It's a feature called 'emergency SOS' and DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker explains this feature is in most new phones and it is impacting local first responders. 

If this is something that you don't want your phone doing, explore your settings in your phone to find out if you can disable that feature. Sheriff Walker says these instances are things they have to take seriously in the event there is an actual emergency.

Sheriff Walker believes some would view the feature as a nuisance if their phone was to accidentally dial 9-1-1 and dispatchers are unable to reach that person for whatever reason and the next they know there's first responders at their door. 

While he believes it is a good intentioned feature of our modern devices, he also notes it diverts some of the County's necessary resources to other places.