Dispatch teaches 911 safety for kids

(Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a series on the Gunnison Regional Communications Center.)

For the Gunnison Regional Communications Center, also known as “dispatch,” outreach to children is a key part of their mission. Children don’t call 911 very often, said dispatch supervisor Whitney Bergman, but if the need arises it’s important that they know how to do it.

GRCC conducts outreach programs through the schools, and also encourages parents to talk to their children about what to do in an emergency, Bergman said. That’s especially relevant now, during the summer, when children may be a little less supervised, she said.

If a child is at home alone and an emergency arises, the first thing they should do is try to find an adult, Bergman said. But if no one else is around, they shouldn’t be afraid to call.

“If you feel like you need to call 911, just call,” she said, “You’re not going to be in trouble.”

An important consideration is to teach children how to keep themselves safe in an emergency. Kids often get instructions like, you can’t leave the house until mom and dad are home, Bergman said. But if, for example, the house catches fire, kids need to know they should leave immediately and call 911 from somewhere safe, she said.

When a child calls 911, the dispatcher who picks up is going to ask them a lot of questions, so it’s important they understand that the dispatcher is someone they can trust. They will need to answer the dispatcher’s questions calmly and clearly, and follow any instructions the dispatcher gives them.

One concern dispatchers must deal with is that children can be uncomfortable if they think the police will be involved.

“They think that cops come to get bad people,” Bergman said. “We have to emphasize a lot that you’re not in trouble. They are going to come help you.”

Once a dispatcher realizes they are talking to a child, one of the first things they will do is ask their age. Dispatchers know how to phrase their questions in a way that’s age appropriate, say, for a kindergartener versus a middle schooler.

As with any emergency, the dispatcher needs to determine the caller’s location. When the caller is a young child, that can present additional challenges. Parents can help by teaching children from an early age how to describe basic elements of their surroundings. As a result, for example, a dispatcher might be able to direct responders to look for a blue house with a red car outside, even if they don’t have a specific street number.

One important instruction the dispatcher will give to a child who calls 911, is to stay on the line and not hang up until responders arrive. That way, the dispatcher can confirm that the responders are in the right place.

“We want to make sure we’ve put two and two together,” Bergman said.

Sometimes a parent will give an old, disused cellphone to a child so they can play games on it, and that can result in unintended emergency calls.

“Most people don’t realize that any cell phone with a battery and a charge can call 911,” Bergman said, even if the phone is out of minutes or no longer part of a calling plan.

If a child (or an adult for that matter) does call 911 by mistake, it’s very important they don’t just hang up, Bergman said. That’s so the dispatcher can speak with them and confirm there is no emergency.

“It happens all the time,” she said. “You won’t be in trouble.”

For more information about calling 911, scan the QR code below.

(William Spicer is a Gunnison-based writer.)