This activity is designed to help children understand the basic concepts of calling 911. The lessons are geared towards children that are old enough to dial a phone and know their names and address.

It is strongly recommended that parent/teacher guidance be utilized so that children get the optimun benefits from the important lessons taught here. It is important that everyone knows when, and when not, to call 911.

A Word About Cell Phones

Sometimes, 9-1-1 wireless (cell phone) calls do not provide any address information. it is important for children to know where they are calling from and to be able to identify landmarks (street names, signs or big buildings) to help 9-1-1 Call takers determine where to send help.

Due to the occasional high volume of 9-1-1 calls from wireless phones (many people reporting the same car crash, etc.) you may recieve a recorded message giving instructions to stay on the line for the next available Call Taker. it is very important to stay on the line. Your call will be answered in the order recieved. While it is very unlikely that you will ever get a busy signal when calling 911, it is important to teach your child to "redial" 9-1-1 if he/she would ever hear a busy signal. If they hear a recorded message, teach your child to stay on the line and wait for the 911 Call Take to answer the call. it is critical that children understand that if they hang up when they hear this recorded message, their call will go to the end of any calls that are waiting.