Emergencies happen when you least expect them. Would you know what to do? Could you call 9-1-1, 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 9-1-1 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 9-1-1. Parents should explain that 9-1-1 is not a toy, because a child may innocently dial 9-1-1 to report a lost dog or a scraped knee. Other times children may call 9-1-1 as a prank or out of curiosity.

Marion County Fire Rescue crews respond to approximately 170 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 about emergencies. But they can 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 9-1-1
	Explain the importance of pressing the one-key twice instead of looking for a non-existent 11-key
	Encourage children to cooperate with 9-1-1 dispatchers and remain calm
	Educate children on the difference between calling 9-1-1 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 9-1-1 call