It's Time to Call 911: What to Do in an Emergency

Going by the book: 4-year-old calls 911, stays calm after mother falls ill By Amanda Bohman Staff Writer Published April 29, 2007 Deidre Savarino was wandering the toy aisle, as grandmothers do, at a St. Louis store when she came across a book with a bright red cover and a telephone dial pad. "It's Time to Call 911: What to do in an Emergency" seemed like the perfect read for Savarino's grandson, Tony, an inquisitive 3-year-old whose mother suffers from asthma. Savarino bought the book and mailed it to her grandson, who is now 4 and lives in North Pole. The book turned out to be an auspicious buy because Tony knew just how to react when his mother collapsed on the living room floor April 10 and blacked out from what she later learned was a gall bladder attack. "I didn't even know there was a book like that out there," Savarino said. "It was an impulse buy." (Listen to 4-year-old Tony's call to 911) The interactive book rewards its reader with a blast of emergency sirens and a cheery "good job" when 911 is punched into the key pad. It quickly became one of Tony's favorites, said his mother, Courtenay Sharpe. "You know kids," Courtenay said, "once they latch onto a book, they want the same story read to them over and over again. After awhile, he pretty much knew the book by heart." The day of Tony's 911 call was like any other day in the Sharpe household, which is located off Badger Road. Courtenay busied herself scrubbing the bathroom, dusting the living room and looking after her son. Her husband, Tech. Sgt. Robert "Nick" Sharpe, went to his job at Eielson Air Force Base. But one thing was different. Courtenay's stomach ache, which she had initially chalked up to a bad meal, steadily grew worse, so much so that Courtenay often had to lie down to compose herself. She considered calling her husband at work and asking him to come home and take her to see a doctor, but she decided to tough it out. By 5:30 p.m., the pain was unbearable. Courtenay was on her way from the couch to the bathroom when she collapsed, she said. Courtenay remembers that Tony, who is a big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine train, was playing nearby with his train set. The next thing she remembers is a man in a uniform standing over her. While Courtenay lay on the floor in agony and barely conscious, her son called 911, drawing help from the North Star Volunteer Fire Department. According to firefighter Dan Shaughnessy and a recording of the 911 call, Tony told a dispatcher: "Mommy is sick. Mommy needs an ambulance. Mommy fell over. She is sleeping. " Tony confirmed that his mother was breathing. "Can you call the ambulance?" he asked the dispatcher. "When Daddy gets here, Daddy will see if there's something wrong with mommy," he added. The 4-year-old described the family's apartment building as white with a blue roof. Shaughnessy was off-duty and on his way to the bank when the call came in. When he heard the dispatcher say that the 911 caller was a 4-year-old,

Obviously a great lifesaver. It is written with easy to understand examples for children. The only suggestion I would have is for parents to remember to teach the children to PUSH the "on" button like on many cordless phones today. When they pick up the phone to dial 911 usuallly there is no dial tone immediately.

I got this book for my 3 yr old and already she knows to dial 911 to makes the sounds. She doesn't know the concept of why she is dialing it just yet. If you press 911 correctly, the books makes siren sounds and says good job. However, if you press any other numbers it does not make the siren sounds so it really encourages you to press the right numbers.

This book teaches how to use 9-1-1. Also to know their name and address and phone numbers. If it is dialed right, the kids hear a siren and good job. If it is not, they hear a distinct sound. It also lets kids practice dialing 9-1-1 over and over. Further it teaches when to call for an emergency and when not to call.

I think this is a fanastic book! This board book has a telephone keypad to help your child practice how to dial 911 and what to do. If the number dialed is done so inccorrectly it gives you a sound to let you know you dialed it wrong, but when dialed correctly you hear a man's voice say " 911, then a bell, then the sound of a firetruck and then the man again saying good job. This book walks your child through each step making sure the child knows to say their name and home address. It's done in a simple manner that just gets the point across that if something bad happens and you need help it's called an Emergency, do you know what to do" It goes through each step... 1st try and find and adult, if no one is around find the nearest phone and dial 911. A nice person will answer and will tell you what to do. Then the book gives several situations like a fire, if someone is hurt and even if someone has a gun. The last page says remember 911 isn't for fun! Only call it for an emergency. This is one those books that your glad your child has, but hopes they never have to use this knowledge.