Every moment is an opportunity to teach children valuable life skills! Knowing how and when to call 9-1-1 is crucial, and our comprehensive resources are designed to help you guide them through this essential lesson. Explore our educational materials below to equip kids with the knowledge they need to act confidently in emergencies.

Getting started with 9-1-1 education for children can seem intimidating. We created a 4-step guide to help you understand the first steps in beginning the conversation with the children you’re teaching.

Step 1: What is 9-1-1?
First, explain to your child what 9-1-1 is. Emphasize that it should only be used in an emergency, and explain the kind of help you can get from 9-1-1.

“9-1-1 is the emergency 3-digit number you can call to get help from the police, fire department, or an ambulance.”

Step 2: When do you call 9-1-1? 

Help your child understand what an emergency is. If they can answer yes to any of these questions, they need to call 9-1-1:

• Are they or someone around them not breathing?
• Are they or someone around them in danger?
• Do they see fire or smell smoke?
• Are they or someone around them physically hurt?

When to not call 9-1-1:

• For an injured pet
• Because they’ve been grounded
• If the electricity goes out

Prank Calling

• Make sure your child knows the dangers of prank calling 9-1-1. Not only is it a crime, but prank calling 9-1-1 means someone who really is in an emergency might not be able to get the help they need.

Step 3: How do you use it?

Regardless of the type of phone you own, make sure your child knows how to call 9-1-1 on both a cell phone and a landline phone.

Cell phone

1. Tap the phone icon
2. Tap the keypad
3. Tap the numbers “9-1-1”
4. Press the call button

Landline

1. Pick up the phone
2. Listen for a dial tone
3. Push the buttons “9-1-1”

Step 4: What do you say?

9-1-1 call takers need:

• The location of the emergency
• What kind of emergency services are needed (police, fire, ambulance)
• A phone number in case they are disconnected

A 9-1-1 call taker can’t help your child if they don’t know where they are. Teach them to memorize their home address in case of an emergency.

Teach your child to stay on the line, answer all of the questions, and to follow the call taker’s instructions.

For more tips and detailed instructions, download our guide below.

Thomas the Toucan and Zoey the Zebra are some of our mascots for 9-1-1 education. The video below can be used to quickly and easily start the 9-1-1 conversation with children. We’ve created fun and informative handouts that you can print and use to reinforce the lessons from the video. These handouts include coloring pages, emergency scenarios, and quick reference guides.

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