Here’s a good lesson to parents: Make sure children understand that dialing 911 has implications.
Madison Lee, six-year-old daughter of Kevin and Ladina Lee, LaHarpe, made the mistake earlier this month, and Angie Murphy, 911 director, turned it into a learning experience after receiving an apologetic letter, hand-delivered, from the little girl.
Madison, her sister, Alexis, 9, and mom were invited to the dispatch center Thursday afternoon to learn what dispatchers do and why it is important that 911 is a serious matter.
When Madison dialed the emergency number, a dispatcher called back to make sure nothing was amiss. That’s a protocol followed with all calls from children. Either a parent or adult in the household is contacted. If that doesn’t occur, dispatchers send an officer to check on the child.
However, Murphy stressed several times to the two girls, “If ever you need to call about anything that’s an emergency, we want you to call right away. Don’t hesitate. We also want you and other kids to understand how to use 911.”
During April all kindergarten through fourth-grade students in Allen County will be told about 911 and how and when to dial the simple numbers. Pre-school children are appraised of the service when they visit fire departments.
“We want to empower children not to be scared to call,” Murphy said, an act that could make a huge difference in someone’s life.
THE 911 CENTER receives more than 60,000 calls in a typical year.
The variety ranges throughout the spectrum of what someone thinks is an emergency, from a traffic accident to fire to water leak to missing dog. Crank calls occur, as do those seeking generic information, but the lion’s share of calls are valid.
Available are three lines to answer landlines, three for cell phones.
