Overview
Seconds count during an emergency. Everyone needs to use 9-1-1 properly to get help quickly during a fire, medical emergency, or crime. This is especially true for children. It is very important to teach your children how to correctly use the 9-1-1 system. It could very well save a life!
Guidelines
Follow these guidelines to teach your children the proper way to use 9-1-1 to report emergencies:
Do
- Always call from a safe location. If the house is on fire, get out first and then call from a nearby phone.
- If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, don't hang up. Tell the 9-1-1 operator there is no emergency and you dialed by accident. If you hang up before speaking with the operator, he or she could send emergency crews to your location needlessly.
- Teach children their full name and address. And always post your full address near your home phone.
- Teach children to remain as calm as possible when speaking with the 9-1-1 operator so they can get the correct information to send help.
- Wait until the 9-1-1 operator tells you it is okay to hang up the telephone. It is common for 9-1-1 operators to keep young callers on the line until help arrives.
Do Not
- Do not call 9-1-1 as a joke or prank. You can get into serious trouble. More importantly, you can delay others getting the help they need in an emergency.
- Do not call 9-1-1 for animal emergencies. Call Edmond Animal Welfare at (405) 216-7615
- Do not call 9-1-1 for noisy neighbors, loud music, or barking dogs. Instead call (405) 359-4338.
- Do not hang up the phone until the 9-1-1 operator tells you it is okay to do so.
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