| What if you needed help and it was only you and your child? Would he or she know how to summons it? A child who knows how to use 911 could easily save someone's life. It is best to call 9-1-1 from a landline phone, but in the event that one is not available, your child should know how to call them from a mobile device as well. Some tips are being offered to parents, courtesy of Verizon Wireless, on teaching your children how to use 911.
Make sure your child can say their first and last name and provide their address or location.
Some 911 centers don't have the ability to automatically locate a caller. So teaching your child to identify a location by buildings, signs or other landmarks is important.
Tip: Making up a rhyme or song can help make it fun and easy to remember this important information.
Explain the different emergency situations that might require your child to call 911. Examples include Fire, Medical emergencies, Car accidents, Stranger danger.
Please ensure that your child understands that 911 should only be called if there's an actual emergency. Explain that 911 should never be called for practice, as a joke, or for any other non-emergency reason. Doing so could prevent 911 dispatchers from quickly responding to someone in a real emergency situation.
Walk your child through the steps for how to dial 911 on your mobile phone. If you have a security lock on your Home screen, show your child how to unlock it. Go over your mobile phone's keypad several times to help your child become familiar with dialing the 911 number.
Have your child practice making a phone call from your mobile phone by calling a family member or friend. Remember not to actually call 911 with your child, unless it's an emergency.
The more repetition you can provide, the easier it will be for your child to recall the steps, even in a stressful emergency situation. |
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