Teach Kids How to Call 911 for Emergencies
When there’s an emergency, every adult knows that they should call 911. However, children need to be taught what to do in an emergency and what to expect in these potentially life-changing situations, just in case there’s ever a situation where they need to call for help. You can start the conversation by asking your child what they would do if someone tried to break into their home or if their house was on fire. This will give you an idea of what they already know and open the door to teach them what they haven’t yet learned.
When to Call 911
The first step is to teach your child when they should call 911 and when they shouldn’t. Some situations aren’t emergencies, and some are. But if someone has been badly hurt, someone is in immediate danger, or they see a crime happening, those are situations when they should call 911. Examples of emergency situations that you could give your child include:
- Someone can’t breathe.
- You see someone committing a crime.
- Something is on fire that shouldn’t be.
- You see a serious car accident.
- Someone is unconscious (they suddenly fall asleep and you can’t wake them up).
You should also explain when they should not call 911. Examples of when you shouldn’t call 911 might include:
- You got stung by a bee.
- Your parents have made a fire in the fireplace.
- A bully steals your toy.
- You stepped in a hole and twisted your ankle.
It’s also important to make sure that kids know that you should never call 911 as a prank. Doing so is a crime in a lot of places, and even if it isn’t where you live, keeping 911 operators busy with a prank keeps them from helping someone who has a real emergency.
Other Things to Know About 911
Once kids understand when they should call 911, teach them how to do it. For a lot of people, this will mean teaching your child how to unlock your cellphone or use the “emergency” feature to make a call. Show them the buttons they need to push so that they know exactly how to call 911. Be sure to always call it “nine-one-one,” not “nine-eleven”; otherwise, if there’s a real emergency, your child may panic because they can’t find the “11” button on your phone.
Then, explain what will happen when they call 911 to get help:
- An emergency worker will answer the phone and ask them what the emergency is.
- The person on the phone will ask where the emergency is.
- The person on the phone will ask them questions and talk to them. The child should not hang up the phone until the person on the phone tells them to.
- Emergency workers, like police officers, firefighters, or paramedics, will show up to help.
Be sure to explain to your child that before they call 911, they need to make sure that they are safe. For instance, if their house is on fire, they need to leave the house right away and get away from the fire before they call 911.
- How to Teach Your Kid to Call 911
- How to Practice 911 Calls for Kids
- Teaching Kids About Dialing 911
- What Should You Do Before and After Calling 911?
- What to Expect When You Call an Ambulance
- What to Tell 911 in an Emergency
More Safety Tips
- Work with your child to make sure that they have their home address memorized. If you live in an apartment, this should include the floor you’re on and your apartment number.
- If you live in a house, always make sure that your house number is clearly visible from the street, so emergency responders can find you.
- Teaching children about the function and importance of a home security system can also be very helpful. Anxious children may find comfort in knowing that there is a system in place to protect their home even when they are not there.
- Make a family fire safety plan and practice it with your child, so they know how to evacuate if there’s a fire.
- Put together a first aid kit with your child, showing them what’s inside and what it’s for. Then, make sure that your child knows where it’s kept. If they’re old enough, teach them basic first aid.
- Make sure that your child understands how to stay safe in different types of weather. This includes wearing sunscreen to stay safe from the sun and bundling up to stay safe from the winter cold.
- If you spend any time near water, make sure your child knows the importance of wearing a life jacket.
Additional Reading on Emergency Safety for Kids
- What to Do Before, During, and After an Emergency
- Teaching Emergency Preparedness to Kids: Engaging Activities and Strategies
- Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready for a Disaster?
- Make a Family Emergency Plan
- Children and Disasters: Emergency Planning for Families
- How Families Can Prepare for Emergencies
- Preparing Kids for an Emergency
- What Kids and Parents Should Know and Do to Be Prepared for an Emergency
- Preparing for Emergencies With Sesame Workshop
- It’s Never Too Early to Teach Kids to Be Prepared for Emergencies
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