Every year hundreds of thousands of calls are received at 9-1-1 centers
across the country. Many of these callers are young children, some of
whom may be frightened and alone. Unfortunately, they are also
unfamiliar with what to do & say once they have reached the 9-1-1
dispatch center.
For all the children who know: WHEN to call 9-1-1, HOW to call and
WHAT to say, there are countless others who lack the fundamental
knowledge, resulting in delays in getting emergency personnel to the
scene... often with tragic consequences. On the other hand, too many
calls to 9-1-1 are curious youngsters or thrill-seekers that do not
understand the implications of their act. These 9-1-1 callers would
benefit from an effective and comprehensive child-friendly educational
program. Unfortunately, until 1995 no such program existed to assist
adults in teaching critical emergency telephone skills to young
children.
The Great 9-1-1 Adventure
The 9-1-1 for Kids® Classroom Kit was developed to make learning how to
use 9-1-1 fun and memorable for Pre-kindergarten to elementary school
students.
Through the lovable characters created by Emmy and Peabody
award-winning master puppeteer Tony Urbano (the aliens in "Men in
Black", the Downy Snuggle Bear and the McDonald food puppets to name a
few of his credits) and the catchy 9-1-1 for Kids® song by composer and
record producer Gary Powell ("The Little Mermaid", "Aladdin" original
scores and "Lion King" book & tape series).
The 15 minute video, "The Great 9-1-1 Adventure", continues to delight youngsters while teaching them the proper use of 9-1-1.
Tweens & Teens
Wireless 9-1-1
According to a recent Harris Interactive Survey, ESPN's X Games is the second most appealing sporting event to kids in the U.S. aged 6 to 17. The X Games placed just behind the Olympic Games, in appeal to those kids aware of the event. With this in mind, 9-1-1 for Kids® spent several years developing its newest 9-1-1 for Kids’ character – "DJ Digital."
DJ Digital is a world-class skateboarding/snowboard/surfing wireless phone who will serve as the key "spokes-phone" to teach tweens and teens the "most X-cellent" point of calling 9-1-1 on a wireless phone.
Key 9-1-1 wireless information which DJ Digital and his friends cover are:
When Dialing 9-1-1 From Your Cell Phone 1 Call only for immediate emergency assistance—medical, fire, or police. 2 Be prepared to provide your location and any essential information the dis-patcher may need. 3 Stay on the line until told to hang up. You may be transferred to another agency.
Help Reduce Unnecessary Calls
Use non-emergency numbers for your local law enforcement agency when you do not need immediate assistance.
If medical, fire or police are already on scene, it is not necessary to call 9-1-1 again. Instead, call a non-emergency number if you have additional information or witnessed the incident.
Do not call 9-1-1 for non-emergency incidents (i.e., requesting road conditions, asking why traffic is backed up, requesting driving directions, or other similar reasons). Be prepared; contact your local CHP office directly, using a non-emergency number.
Use or maintain a landline at home and at work for 9-1-1 calls, as the dispatcher is more likely to get accurate location information from a landline.
Using 9-1-1 in non-emergency situations prevents critical emergencies from being attended to.
Help Avoid Accidental Calls with the Following Tips:
Do not hang up on an accidental 9-1-1 call. Inform the dispatcher that the call was an accident before you hang up.
Do not pre-program 9-1-1 into your or your child’s cell phone’s speed dial. This can lead to accidental calls.
Teach young children how and when to dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone. Train them to press 9-1-1 and the “send” button only in an emergency.
Even cell phones without active service can dial 9-1-1. Take batteries out of cell phones before recycling them or giving them to a child to play with.
Don't call 9-1-1 to check to see if your cell phone works. 9-1-1 is to be used for emergency calls only.
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9-1-1 for Kids® • Address: 14340 Bolsa Chica Road, Unit C, Westminster, CA 92683 •
Office: (714) 894-5450 / Facsimile: (714) 333-4911
Contact Us:
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