Second graders learn to dial 9-1-1 at special assembly
Ann Hennigan, with the Barry County E9-1-1 Center talks to the Cassville second graders during a special assembly about why you call 9-1-1.
May 20, 2015
Charlea Mills
For the past six years, the Barry County E9-1-1 Center has done a special program at area schools to ensure kids know the proper reasons for dialing 9-1-1.
The program is run by Ann Hennigan, GISTech for the E9-1-1 Center. She said, “I love visiting with the second graders, so I’m happy to say that I get to go to all the schools.” The program is directed at the seven and eight year olds in all Barry County Schools. Hennigan visits Cassville, Exeter, Purdy, Southwest, Shell Knob and Wheaton each at a different point during the year, but the program is the same at each school.
During the assemblies, Hennigan is interactive with the kids, asking questions like when would the fire department, police or ambulance respond to a 9-1-1 call. She also makes sure the kids know when to call 9-1-1 and to always stay on the phone to make sure the dispatcher gets all of the information they need to send help.
Hennigan said, “We’ve all seen news stories about children calling 9-1-1 who need help for themselves, a parent or caregiver or even a stranger. I believe that it is important for kids to know when, why and how to call 9-1-1 and what to expect when they are talking to a dispatcher. It also gives us an opportunity to remind kids how important it is to know their address and, if they are travelling or in a strange place, what things they should be looking for to help dispatchers pinpoint their location.”
During Cassville’s assembly, Hennigan talked about how to look at landmarks while the kids are travelling. She talked about water towers, street signs, specific buildings and others that could help a dispatcher locate where an accident happened or where to send help.
The E9-1-1 Center also provided tips for parents to discuss with their kids about how to deal with emergencies and dialing 9-1-1:
• Help your child learn their address.
• Post your address on the refrigerator or other conspicuous place in case of emergency.
• If your child accidentally dials 9-1-1, tell them not to hang up. They should talk to the dispatcher and explain that it was an accident.
• Children should not dial 9-1-1 for a prank, because they’re bored, or as a joke.
• If your child hangs up after calling 9-1-1, a dispatcher will call back to make sure everything is okay. If no one answers, they may send an officer to make sure.
• When you call 9-1-1 in an emergency, make sure to speak clearly. Don’t hang up until the dispatcher tells you it’s okay to hang up.
• (Parents) Before you give your child an old cell phone to play with, make sure to remove the battery, even if the phone is not activated, it can still dial 9-1-1.
Henigan added, “We appreciate all of the schools and teachers allowing the E9-1-1 Center the opportunity to talk about 9-1-1 awareness. Everyone is very welcoming and the kids are always attentive and ask great questions. it is truly my favorite work-related activity, and I look forward to it each year. If any group or organization is interested in having the 9-1-1 Center talk with them, please contact us at (417) 846-49-1-1 and speak with Mike or Danna.”
Charlea Mills
For the past six years, the Barry County E9-1-1 Center has done a special program at area schools to ensure kids know the proper reasons for dialing 9-1-1.
The program is run by Ann Hennigan, GISTech for the E9-1-1 Center. She said, “I love visiting with the second graders, so I’m happy to say that I get to go to all the schools.” The program is directed at the seven and eight year olds in all Barry County Schools. Hennigan visits Cassville, Exeter, Purdy, Southwest, Shell Knob and Wheaton each at a different point during the year, but the program is the same at each school.
During the assemblies, Hennigan is interactive with the kids, asking questions like when would the fire department, police or ambulance respond to a 9-1-1 call. She also makes sure the kids know when to call 9-1-1 and to always stay on the phone to make sure the dispatcher gets all of the information they need to send help.
Hennigan said, “We’ve all seen news stories about children calling 9-1-1 who need help for themselves, a parent or caregiver or even a stranger. I believe that it is important for kids to know when, why and how to call 9-1-1 and what to expect when they are talking to a dispatcher. It also gives us an opportunity to remind kids how important it is to know their address and, if they are travelling or in a strange place, what things they should be looking for to help dispatchers pinpoint their location.”
During Cassville’s assembly, Hennigan talked about how to look at landmarks while the kids are travelling. She talked about water towers, street signs, specific buildings and others that could help a dispatcher locate where an accident happened or where to send help.
The E9-1-1 Center also provided tips for parents to discuss with their kids about how to deal with emergencies and dialing 9-1-1:
• Help your child learn their address.
• Post your address on the refrigerator or other conspicuous place in case of emergency.
• If your child accidentally dials 9-1-1, tell them not to hang up. They should talk to the dispatcher and explain that it was an accident.
• Children should not dial 9-1-1 for a prank, because they’re bored, or as a joke.
• If your child hangs up after calling 9-1-1, a dispatcher will call back to make sure everything is okay. If no one answers, they may send an officer to make sure.
• When you call 9-1-1 in an emergency, make sure to speak clearly. Don’t hang up until the dispatcher tells you it’s okay to hang up.
• (Parents) Before you give your child an old cell phone to play with, make sure to remove the battery, even if the phone is not activated, it can still dial 9-1-1.
Henigan added, “We appreciate all of the schools and teachers allowing the E9-1-1 Center the opportunity to talk about 9-1-1 awareness. Everyone is very welcoming and the kids are always attentive and ask great questions. it is truly my favorite work-related activity, and I look forward to it each year. If any group or organization is interested in having the 9-1-1 Center talk with them, please contact us at (417) 846-49-1-1 and speak with Mike or Danna.”
