Emergency Crews Arrive At White House After Fake 911 Call About A Fire

911 operators in Washington D.C. report receiving a false emergency call on Monday at 7:03 a.m.  This time, the call concerned the White House.

The false call activated numerous first responders and the Secret Service, tying up vital resources for the time.

Noah Gray, a D.C. Fire Department spokesperson told The New York Post that at 7:03 a.m., 911 operators received a call stating the White House was on fire. Emergency crews and Secret Service teams responded within 60 seconds.

Responders quickly determined that 911 operators received a fake call, and within 20 minutes Fire Crews returned to their stations.

President Joe Biden was at Camp David (Maryland) when the fake call was made.

Generally secretive regarding security details, White House officials declined to comment on the incident, referring reporter’s questions to the Secret Service, which has not yet issued a statement.

False calls to 911 operators (often called “swatting”) are becoming a growing problem, with Democrat and Republican government officials, judges, and media personalities reporting multiple calls in recent months.

The Post noted that Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Brandon Williams, and Rick Scott, Mayor Michelle Wu, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, legal expert and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley, and judges Arthur Engoron and Tanya Chutkan are among those falling victims to swatting calls in recent weeks.

“Swatting” calls often purport grave danger—such as a bomb threat, an armed intruder, or a hostage situation, which activates SWAT teams and heavily armed police officers. In these tense situations, the probability of an accidental injury is high.

In addition to putting responders and innocents in harm’s way, “swatting” calls tie up emergency resources, further putting the public at risk.

One person convicted in 2018 of making more than 1900 bomb threat calls—primarily to Jewish community centers and U.S. government offices—shared with officials, “I did it out of boredom. It was like a game.”

Officials report the White House is open and conducting business as usual.

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