A preschooler was honored in Missouri City just this week for calling 9-1-1 to rescue her grandmother, and experts are sharing some tips for teaching young children how to handle a 9-1-1 emergency.
Back in January, Samantha White's grandmother got stuck in a tree after the ladder she used to climb it fell. Samantha, who was only four years old at the time, did the right thing. She called 9-1-1 and got help. Her grandmother was not hurt.
"She was very calm, she able to give a lot of great information to the dispatcher," Missouri City Fire Chief Russell Sander said.
Samantha even waited outside to flag down the fire truck.
"I went out of the house and I waved my hands to know which house was right," White told Eyewitness News.
Now five, Samantha received a certificate for exemplary action from Sander and also got a medal.
"She's very adept at using my iPhone, and when you slide it, it goes automatically to emergency calls and she knew to call 9-1-1," Samantha's mother, Rachael Hopkins, said.
Samantha learned what to do and your children can learn, too.
UT Health experts say first, teach young children what an emergency is by role playing. Show them an adult not responding. Then tell them to be "a big kid" and call 9-1-1. Then, explain they will talk to a dispatcher, who will ask questions. Also emphasize that 911 is special, and should be dialed only if someone is hurt or sick.
"Knowing their address, make a sing song out of it, knowing their phone number so we can call them back," emergency dispatcher Christina Barnes said.
Samantha got a ride in the fire truck and the fire fighters who came to help. And the best gift: her grandmother was there riding with her.
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