GREENSBORO, N.C. — How often do kids call 911? You might be surprised to know that it happens all the time.
“We talk to kids every single day. So it’s not unusual for a child to call,” said Jeri Phillips, Guilford Metro 911 Training Specialist.
Phillips says the most important information a 911 operator needs is an address. But even if a child doesn’t know it, Guilford Metro 911 operators are trained to figure it out.
“What color is your house? What street do you live on? Are there any toys outside? What color is the car? I’ve had calls where I’ve had the child flip the light switch on and off for the front porch to help responders find them. So there are lots of things, we’re very creative when it comes to children,” said Phillips.
She says you can start the conversation with your kids whenever you see a first responder, a fire fighter, a police officer, a nurse. She says talk to your kids about how these people help the world and can help them if there’s an emergency. Phillips says you can practice going through the motions with your child on the phone– without actually calling.
She also recommends practicing with an app that teaches kids how to dial for help. The big thing is, getting the number right.
“You want to be sure that you’re telling that you’re repeating it as 9-1-1. Some people do it as 9-11 and for a young child that can be confusing when they’re in an emergency situation. They pick up the phone and they find the nine easily, but that 11 is going to be hard to find. So, just reiterating that it’s 9-1-1,” said Phillips.
Here’s a takeaway for all of us. you sign up and create a profile with Rapid SOS. It’s a software that many 911 facilities can access. You create a profile with your address, allergies, and medical conditions. When your phone calls 911, all the information is available to the 911 operator.
“I had a call from someone, but no one was talking. It was just an open line and I heard a thud on the, on the line. So I looked at our Rapid SOS and she had entered all of her information in there and because of that, I knew that she had seizure disorders. I knew her husband’s contact information. So I was able, we were able to get someone very, very quickly to her,” said Phillips.
