 911
What You Need to Know About Calling Emergency
911 is only for emergency situations. Use 911to report a fire,
to call for emergency medical service (paramedics), to report a traffic
accident with injuries or fatalities, to get help for a breakin or some
other crime that is happening right then, to report electrical lines that
are down, any chemical leak or toxic spill or any situation where someone
is in immediate danger and could be injured or killed.
What Happens When You Call
It's important for any babysitter to know what will happen when you call
9-1-1. The only time you would call 9-1-1 is to ask for emergency medical
treatment, or to get a police officer to come to intervene in an emergency
situation. Here's how to get ready for your call.
It's important to stay calm. Sure, calling 9-1-1 can be scary, but all
you have to do is let the 911 operator ask you questions and you answer
them. They are trained to ask you all the right questions that will get
help to you as quickly as possible. To be ready to answer, it's important
to have your emergency information sheet ready with this info for the
911 operator. Be ready to give out:
1. Exactly where you and the victim are located and where emergency personnel
can find you. That means street address, nearest cross streets or landmarks.
(Note: In some places, the emergency operator may already be able to see
your address and phone number on their dispatcher's screen. In this case,
they will ask you to confirm the information.)
2. Have the phone number where you are ready, and give them your cell
phone number (if you have one)
3. Be ready to tell what kind of emergency it is, what led up to the
emergency and exactly what the emergency is. If it is a car accident,
be ready to tell the kind of car and what vehicles were involved.
4. If there are injuries or a medical emergency you are reporting, be
ready to describe the victim's condition. Is the person having problems
breathing? Have they stopped breathing? How fast or slow is their breathing?
Is their skin cold, or pale or blue? Are they thrashing around or are
they still and quiet?
5. Do you know if the victim has been taking any medications? If yes,
what kind and how much?
6. Be ready to tell how old the victim is and about how much they weigh.
7. Keep talking to the dispatcher. Don't hang up the phone until you're
told directly to do so.
8. If you're using a cell phone to call 911, be aware that your call
will probably be answered by the highway patrol. They may not know your
location, so be ready to describe it. Know and give them your cell phone
number. Keep dialing even if your phone says "no service". It can take
time for cell service to be established. Get out if you're inside a house
or a car. Cars and thick walls can block cell phone signals.
Links and Activities
Safety Rage
This cool website from ThinkQuest can help you teach the kids you babysit
all kinds of safety information.
Red-E-Fox
This cool superhero teaches little kids as young as 5 about how to dial
911. It's important for even tiny kids to know that. If something happens
to you, your charges need to know how to call for help!
Teach
Emergency Basics
This website from the Foster City Police department has a great list of
emergency information you can teach your kids. Make learning their phone
number and address a game.
Talkabout and Do
1. When should you call 911? What kinds of emergencies are 911 emergencies?
2. What will happen when you call 911? What kind of information will
the operator ask you to know?
3. Pretend there was an accident. Ask one person to be the victim, another
to be the babysitter, a third to be the operator. Play through the scene.
Then change roles. Do this three times so everyone gets a chance to be
the victim, babysitter and emergency operator.
4. Check out our article on Home Fire Drills. Make calling 911 part of
your drill. Do them twice a year at home.
Researched and written by Angela O, 17, CA
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