Around age 4, start talking to your child about what an emergency is and how to call emergency services

No one wants to think about how they’d react in an emergency. Let alone what their kids would do when faced with a life-threatening event.

And yet, they happen. Every day.

An estimated 240 million phone calls are made to 911 each year. That’s more than 650,000 calls a day.

How can you make sure your child can get help in case of an emergency? Start by teaching them when and how to call 911.

Pediatrician Richard So, MD, shares practical advice that could save lives.

Why it’s important for kids to learn to call 911

911 is the emergency number in the United States. It’s the number you dial to get police, fire or ambulance services.

Even if your child is too young to be left home alone, emergencies still happen that can prevent the adult in charge from being able to call for help themselves.

“Around age 4 is usually an appropriate time to start to teach kids how to call 911,” Dr. So says. “That’s around the time when they can start to identify an emergency, use a phone and provide necessary information to an operator.”

When to call 911

The first step to teaching your child to call 911 is to help them understand what counts as an emergency.

“One of the simplest explanations is that we call 911 when someone is very hurt, can’t wake up or is in danger,” Dr. So shares. “Tell them, If you’re scared that you or someone you’re with could be very hurt or in danger, call 911.”

But when you’re talking with your child, it can help to provide some specific examples of when it’s appropriate to make the call.

For starters, they should know that if they believe there’s an emergency, they should first check with the adults in the house. “If they’re worried that mom’s hurt in the yard and dad’s in the kitchen, they should start with dad, not with 911,” Dr. So clarifies.

If there’s not a safe adult around to make the call, they should know to call 911 in situations like:

  • Loss of consciousness: For example, if grandma’s in bed and isn’t waking up when you shake her. Or if the babysitter fell down and won’t talk to you when you talk to them.
  • Choking: For example, if their brother isn’t talking, breathing or coughing after eating or drinking something. It could also help to teach your children the universal sign of choking (grabbing your throat with both hands).
  • Serious injury: For example, someone is bleeding and can’t make it stop, or if you see bones sticking out of their skin. (Graphic, yes, but still important to recognize.)
  • Immediate danger: For example, someone is trying to get into your house, people are fighting with their hands, you see someone with a knife or a gun, or someone is scaring you or threatening you.
  • Drowning: In kid-words, that might be explained as someone went underwater — like in the pool or bathtub — and isn’t moving or coming up for air.
  • Strange behavior: For example, a caregiver is talking but not making any sense or isn’t saying words normally (like if they’re impaired or having a stroke).
  • Poisoning: Like if a sibling swallowed medication that isn’t theirs or drank cleaning products.
  • Smoke or fire: In this case, teach your child to first get away from the house before calling. If they can’t get out because of flames or smoke, they should know to call 911.

How to call 911

The number for 911 is ... of course, 9-1-1. That’s simple enough to explain to any kid who has a grasp of their numbers. (Pro tip: Say it as individual numbers. Not “nine-eleven.” Otherwise, your child might search the phone for the “11” button.)

If you have a landline at home, you can show them that they dial 9, followed by a 1 and another 1. Easy peasy.

Here’s where it can get tricky, though.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 87% of kids in the U.S. live in houses that are “wireless only” — as in, no landline. So, if you only have cell phones in your house, you’ll need to show them how to use them in an emergency.

You can do that in a few different ways.

Share passcodes

If your child already knows your passcode (or if you don’t use a passcode), you can show them how to open your phone app and dial 911.

But different parents and caregivers likely have different codes. Codes can get changed. Or you may not want them to have access to your phone entirely.

So, it may not be the most surefire option.

Use emergency dialing

It might be better to teach them to use your cell phone’s emergency call option. Depending on your cell phone brand, you may see it:

  • On the lock screen (look on the bottom)
  • On the “power down” screen
  • When you repeatedly press a certain button on the phone, like the power button

Tablets that are connected to cellular service may also have these options. So do some smartwatches.

“One good teaching technique could be to print out a screenshot showing where the emergency button is on your phone and put it on the fridge as a visual reminder of what to do in an emergency,” Dr. So suggests.

Remember, if they spend time with another caregiver, like a grandparent or babysitter who has different devices, you should show them how to use those in an emergency as well.

Keep an emergency phone

Even phones that don’t have a cellular plan can call 911 in an emergency.

So, another option is to keep a designated cell phone that’s strictly for use in emergencies. It can be an older model phone that you don’t use anymore.

Keep it charged and in one place, and teach your child how to use it (including how to power it on). That way, they always know exactly where to find the phone and how to use it in an emergency.

What to know when you call

Next up, they need to know how to communicate with a 911 operator.

They should be prepared to clearly provide information like:

  • Their first and last name
  • The name of the person who’s in trouble (not “Mom” or “Dad” but real first and last names)
  • A description of what’s happening (“She won’t wake up” or “He’s bleeding a lot”)
  • The address they’re at, including the apartment number, if applicable

Tell them to follow any directions provided to them, including not hanging up.

“Teach your child that the operator and the responders who will come are safe people who are there to help. They should do what they say to do and answer their questions honestly,” Dr. So encourages.

How to practice

Repetition is key to teaching your child any new skill. And the same goes for identifying emergencies, dialing 911 and talking to the operator.

Do not dial 911 for practice. Instead, try these ways to reinforce the lesson:

  • Periodically ask them to find your phone (or the emergency phone) and show you the emergency call button.
  • Role play where you’re a 911 operator and they’re calling in an emergency. Use a toy phone or a non-working phone.
  • When you see emergency services, like an ambulance or fire truck on the road, ask your child what kind of emergencies they think they might be responding to.
  • Play a game of “Emergency or no?” Give them scenarios and ask if it’s a reason to call 911. (“If I tell you to put away your tablet and you get mad. Emergency or no?” Or “If I fall down the stairs and don’t wake up. Emergency or no?”)
  • Consider downloading a 911 practice app from your device’s app store.

It’s hard to imagine your child in an emergency situation where they need to call for help. No one ever wants to see any kid in that situation. But worse would be having your child need emergency services and not knowing what to do.

So, talk about it. Keep talking about it. And let’s hope it’s a skill they never have to put to use in the real world.

Stay safe!