Emergencies happen when you least expect them. Would you know what to do? Could you call 911, give brief directions to your home and accurately describe the emergency? If you’re like most people, the answer is no. Dispatchers say most people panic. Sometimes the 911 caller cannot remember their own address or phone number much less describe the nature of the emergency.

It’s a dispatcher’s job to calm the caller, gather life-saving information and send the most appropriate unit to the emergency within 30 seconds. However, dispatchers are only as good as the information they receive.

Dispatchers say it’s also important to teach children how and when to call 911. Parents should explain that 911 is not a toy. A child may innocently dial 911 to report a lost dog or a scraped knee. Other times children may call 911 as a prank or out of curiosity.

Marion County Fire Rescue firefighters respond to 90 plus emergencies a day. It’s easy to understand why any non-emergency call would unnecessarily tie-up lines and prevent someone with a true emergency from getting through.

No one wants to think they could be involved in an emergency. But it could happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Dispatchers encourage parents to prepare themselves and their children for worst case scenarios by practicing and preparing for emergencies and following these life-saving tips.

    ●   Teach children how to use the phone and how to dial 911

    ●    Explain the importance of pressing the one-key twice instead of looking for a non-existent 11-key

    ●    Encourage children to cooperate with 911 dispatchers and remain calm

    ●    Educate children on the difference between calling 911 and 9/11 (September 11, 2001)

    ●    Give simple but detailed explanations of what constitutes a true emergency

    ●    Write down your name, phone number and address to your house and keep the information next
          to every phone in the house

    ●    When using a cell phone, remember that some cell phones may require you to press the “send”
          or “talk” button in order to process the 911 call