Emergency education: Teaching kids about the value of 911

Taylor Lowdon was at home, reading to her younger sister, when their mother tripped, fell down a flight of stairs and lost consciousness.

Recognizing the emergency, Taylor, then five, ran to a phone, dialled 911 and asked for an ambulance.

“I’m very impressed with what Taylor did and amazed she took the initiative to do it,” recalls mother Lisa Plumb, who was not seriously hurt. “I’m so proud and happy.”

There’s a reason why children like Taylor know what to do in an emergency.

Every week, educators for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) visit schools around the province to teach youngsters when to call 911 and what information to give a dispatcher.

In Taylor’s case, she gave a 911 dispatcher her address and phone number. She then unlocked the front door so paramedics could get in the house and put away the family pets so they wouldn’t get in the way.

“What Taylor did shows what a child is capable of if provided with the right information,” says Stuart Brideaux, a public education officer for EMS in Calgary.

“This is evidence EMS education can make a difference.”

Public education officers deliver simple messages to kids about 911: call the number as quickly as possible in an emergency; know your address and phone number; stay on the phone until a dispatcher says to hang up; and realize 911 is not a toy.

 These messages, if heeded, can save time.

“And in many circumstances, time is the difference between life and death,” public education officer Adam Loria says. “We (paramedics) need to be there as soon as possible.”

JoAnn Cazakoff, Alberta Health Services EMS supervisor of EMS Development for northern Alberta and the Edmonton area, says education programs are available for people of all ages throughout the province.

Program information is varied, from how to safely shovel snow to the dangers of drinking and driving or what to do if someone has a heart attack.

“If a person knows how to do CPR and to use an AED (automated external defibrillator), they can deliver that life-saving shock before EMS arrives,” says Cazakoff. “That’s why it’s so important we do a good job in educating people.”

Schools and businesses can call local EMS offices to request education programs.