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"Help comes in all sizes and ages.  Even young children should learn what to do in emergencies.   Frequently, we hear in the news or read about children who have saved lives when they know how to call 911 and report accidents or emergency situations." says Attorney Randall Spivey, Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

KidsHealth.org says that "teaching children how to use 911 in an emergency could be one of the simplest - and most important - lessons you'll ever share."

9-1-1 for Kids® was established in 1994 by communication center officials, emergency medical, fire and law enforcement professionals.  The organization was charged with the task of developing educational tools to help reduce the alarmingly high numbers of non-emergency calls made to 911. It's official mascot since its inception is Red E. Fox.

The Collier County Sheriff's Department, through its Red E. Fox  and 911 for Children participates in local events for children where they learn about handling emergencies by calling 911. For more information on how to schedule Red E. Fox click here: 911 for Children    

Verizon Wireless in Teaching Children How to Dial 911 has the following step-by-step instructions:

1.  Make sure your child can say his/her first and last name and provide the address or location.

• Some 911 centers don't have the ability to automatically locate a caller.  So teaching your child to identify a location by buildings, signs or other landmarks is important.
• Tip:  Making up a rhyme or song can help make it fun and easy to remember this important information.

2.  Explain the different emergency situations that might require your child to call 911.

• Here are some examples:
• Fire
• Medical Emergency
• Car Accident
• Stranger Danger

• Please ensure that your child understands that 911 should only be called if there's an actual emergency.  Explain that 911 should never be called for practice, as a joke, or for any other non-emergency reason.  Doing so could prevent 911 dispatchers from quickly responding to someone in a real emergency situation. 

3.  Walk your child through the steps of how to dial 911 on your mobile phone.

4.  Go over your mobile phone's keypad several times to help your child become familiar with dialing the 911 number.

• Have your child practice making a phone call from our mobile phone by calling a family member or friend.  Remember not to actually call 911 with your child, unless it's an emergency.

        5.  Practice. Practice. Practice.

• The more repetition you can provide, the easier it will be for your child to recall the steps, even in a stressful emergency situation.

Florida Personal Injury Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by less than 2 percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 1,500 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at  239. 337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com  for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.