POMEROY — Children playing with discarded cellular telephones are creating problems for 911 operators, because those phones automatically connect to a dispatch center when they are dialed.

Meigs County 911 Director Douglas Lavender said parents have begun to give their old cellphones to their children, who use them as toys. However, as long as there is a battery in the phone, it dials into a 911 call center, Lavender said. Often, it happens multiple times.

The automatic 911 calls occur regardless of whether the telephone is connected to a working cellular service plan or whether there is a SIM card containing personal data in the phone, Lavender said. The telephone service provider is still required to carry the telephone number on its system and place the emergency calls.

While the unused phones might be acceptable as toys, they should only be given to a child as a plaything once the battery pack is removed from the back of the telephone, Lavender said.

The same auto-call policy applies to regular land-line telephones, too, Lavender said. Even when a telephone is connected to a non-working line, it dials into a 911 center if numbers are dialed.