Recently acquire a new cell phone? Did your child get the old one to play with? If you recently purchased or activated a new or replacement cell phone you need to be aware that your old phone, even though it has been de-activated, may still be capable of dialing 9-1-1. Many cell phone companies will still allow even a de-activated cell phone to make 9-1-1 calls for emergency situations.  Unfortunately, when you give your child a phone to play with, they do make calls to emergency centers, tying up operators who may have a real emergency in progress. We do not wish to deny your child a play toy, but please either remove the battery or make sure it is discharged prior to giving it to them. Check with your cell phone provider to see if their system allows for continued 9-1-1 emergency calls after cell phone de-activation.