Age for calling emergency numbers

[Backroads]

Ok, I'm feeling crazy here and need perspective. I've been in two arguments, online and off, stemming from an article over a teenager calling her mom when robbers entered her home.

I feel a teenager is more than old enough to call 911 or police. Others have told me that's way too young to handle such responsibility and that the delay due to calling parents is worth it. One of my friends says he's not teaching his kids to call emergency first until they're 18.

So we don't teach kids emergency skills anymore?

[Mahone]

What exactly are the concerns of those who teach their children to call their parents first? What is their reasoning?

[Palerider]

I think they need to know at a young age .....I see nothing wrong with educating them in calling 911

[Backroads]

What exactly are the concerns of those who teach their children to call their parents first? What is their reasoning?

My friend says he would never let his kids be alone in a situation where an emergency could happen. He feels an adult would better handle instructions from a dispatcher and would better give information. He would want to know before anyone else if his children were in danger so he could advise. These were more or less the same as the Facebook debate.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Backroads

[Leah]

You're not the crazy one, the people you are arguing with are.

 

What possible good could it do to call the parents first?  That is simply going to delay the arrival of help in an emergency when seconds can count.  I cannot begin to imagine what these parents' thought processes are and what they think calling them is going to accomplish.

 

I think children should be taught how to call 911 in an emergency as soon as they are able to understand.  Haven't we all seen stories over the years of very young children calling 911 for situations such as an unconscious parent?

 

And what if the parent doesn't answer the phone because they are unavailable in a meeting or something?  If you call 911 you are guaranteed that someone will answer.

 

I have to say that this is some of the stupidest - and potentially dangerous - advice that I've ever heard.

[Crypto]

Wow...wow... all I have to say is wow

[Guest]

As soon as they know how to use a phone! 

 

Dispatchers are trained to talk to people of all ages and abilities. They can track where a phone came from if something goes wrong. What good would it be to have someone who is not even there call 911? 

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Definitely calling 911 is the best choice in that situation!  That's what I would want my kids to do.  

 

Speaking of teens and calling their parents...can I share a short OT story?  

When I was about about 17, I was babysitting for a woman that I didn't know well.  I baby-sat for her two nights in a row.  The second night she told me that the previous night someone had followed her to work. She worked at the local hospital, so she sat in her car in the parking lot and waited until she saw some other nurses and then went in with them.  

 

We agreed that was really scary.  The Holy Ghost (though I didn't recognize it at the time) told me not to let her leave.  Like I said, I didn't know her that well, so I didn't know what to say...so she left.  About a half an hour later, the hospital called asking for her.  I told them she had gone to work, and they said, "Well, she's not here."  

I'll spare you the rest of the long (but I think interesting story...), as you might guess she was abducted (she survived).  The police came to the house, and one of them (a police woman) stayed with me.  One of the things we did was look for candles because the bad guys told the woman they were going to "get the girl".  The police woman thought they might kill the lights.  Great. Later someone came from the hospital, took me home and the sleeping child (it was late) to the hospital to be with her parents.  It was a terrifying night for that family, but also for me.

Here's the thing that strikes me as odd...I never thought to call my parents.  In fact, I never told my parents about any of it.  Not a word. 

Edited September 17, 2015 by LiterateParakeet

[mirkwood]

Yea, I've shown up on the scene of some significant crimes and found out family members were called before we were.  Sometimes family was on scene prior to us being called.

 

*smh*

 

As soon as they are old enough to understand when they should and should not dial 911 and how to relay intelligibly why they are calling 911.

[jerome1232]

My 6 year old knows how to dial 911 and his mom's cell phone. He learned a little before he went to kindergarten and we realized he needs to know at least one of our numbers by heart.

My wife regrets it to this day because she can't go shopping without being called at least once by him haha.

[Rhoades]

What exactly are the concerns of those who teach their children to call their parents first? What is their reasoning?

They want control.  These are the parents whose parenting style inhibits their children from becoming capable and independent.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Rhoades

[pkstpaul]

My friend says he would never let his kids be alone in a situation where an emergency could happen. He feels an adult would better handle instructions from a dispatcher and would better give information. He would want to know before anyone else if his children were in danger so he could advise. These were more or less the same as the Facebook debate.

They are detached from reality. 

[NeuroTypical]

Yes, we should all teach our children not to call authorities for help when something horrible is happening.  

 

Good grief.  Do these parents really think that little of their own children?

[Blackmarch]

Ok, I'm feeling crazy here and need perspective. I've been in two arguments, online and off, stemming from an article over a teenager calling her mom when robbers entered her home.

I feel a teenager is more than old enough to call 911 or police. Others have told me that's way too young to handle such responsibility and that the delay due to calling parents is worth it. One of my friends says he's not teaching his kids to call emergency first until they're 18.

So we don't teach kids emergency skills anymore?

OI that's setting up for some hurt. first time i've heard this.. but then I don't get into many parenting coversations.

911 is usually top of the list, followed by police and medical numbers then parents and then grandparents or an aunt or uncle...

>.<

[kapikui]

So what would these people say about the teenagers that instead of calling the police and waiting 15 minutes while an intruder with unknown goals is in their house simply go get a gun and dispatch said intruder, then call the police. 

[Irishcolleen]

I think they should be taught very young- like 3. But, they also need to be taught not to call unless there is no adult who can call.  Medical emergencies or accidents can happen at anytime.  What if mom is home alone with a preschooler and she has an aneurysm break or falls down the stairs and gets seriously injured? It may seem far-fetched, but I know people this has happened to.

[Josiah]

Others have told me that's way too young to handle such responsibility

 

???

 

Hit the 9, then the 1, then the 1 again. "There's an emergency. It's a [insert type of emergency here]. I need help. My address is ______."

 

Soooo much responsibility; you definitely have to be at least 18 to handle this one.   

 

I get that there's a lot of stress and panic involved and I don't mean to ignore that, but calling the parents instead wouldn't change that anyway. It's just as much responsibility to make an intelligible phone call to a parent when under that much pressure, only it's less effective. Any information they could give their parents would just as easily be given to the professionals, PLUS the people at 911 will actually know what questions are important to ask. So I'm not sure what makes calling parents "worth it."

[Palerider]

When one of my daughters was 11 years old I had to have her dial 911 for me. I was backing out of my driveway and a neighbor from across the street came running out of her house screaming really really loud. She had her baby in her hands and she was begging me to stop. I got out of the car and she put this infant into my arms and ran back into the house to get her other son. They were twins. The baby in my arms was having a seizure. I yelled out to my daughter to dial 911 and then as I stood there I prayed that Heavenly Father would not allow this infant to die in my arms. Moments later the Peramedics were there.

[AngelMarvel]

When I lived in California I was a supervisor for Child Protective Services. Do you know that there isn't an age limit on how old/young a child has to be to be left home alone?

 

We would get calls all the time that a child was left home alone and have to go investigate.

 

One of the criteria for the child to be left alone is if they knew what to do in case of an emergency. So... calling 911 would be a good answer for the child to give when we asked them what they would do in case of an emergency.

 

Of course them knowing how to get hold of their parents would be another question.

 

I think a child of any age that can dial a phone is capable of making that call...and calling it first and parents second.

[Bini]

Ok, I'm feeling crazy here and need perspective. I've been in two arguments, online and off, stemming from an article over a teenager calling her mom when robbers entered her home.

I feel a teenager is more than old enough to call 911 or police. Others have told me that's way too young to handle such responsibility and that the delay due to calling parents is worth it. One of my friends says he's not teaching his kids to call emergency first until they're 18.

So we don't teach kids emergency skills anymore?

 

I haven't read ANY of the comments. Just responding to you, Backroads.

 

I agree, 100%, a teenager should be capable of dialing 911 in an emergency. I'm not an expert in how 911 operators operate but I would guess that they are the best source for giving advice in dangerous and life-threatening situations (like how to administer CPR, what steps to take if someone is trapped, what things to look for in your surroundings to help authorities locate you, etc.) To defuse anyone whining about parents being able to do the same, I don't disagree that there are parents able to think rationally through emergencies BUT emergencies crews ARE for a multitude of crappy situations that could be between life and death.

 

In the end, I'm glad the girl had sense to hide, as who knows what those two men might have done if they found here. But I hope in future, she will know that 911 should be her first call and response. My daughter will be four soon, and we've been talking about dialing 911 in emergencies, and such. I don't think you can ever be too young, if you're able to navigate a phone...

[Bini]

Oh man. Sorry for the horrid typos. That's the difference between mobile and computer.

[AngelMarvel]

Oh man. Sorry for the horrid typos. That's the difference between mobile and computer.

No worries.

In my graphics forum everyone can tell when I am typing from my cell phone because of all the typos... plus the auto correct puts words in that I don't mean.

 

One time I was asking members for prayers for my MIL. But, auto correct put in... "I am requesting OYSTERS for my MIL". How in the word did prayers become OYSTERS? LOL

[slamjet]

Our concern was that their mom is diabetic so we kept a land-line so the kids, when they were little, could call 911 and the address would pop-up.  That way, if their little minds were to lock up, the 911 operator would know where they were.  We ditched the landline when they got older.  Thankfully, they never had to call emergency services except for once when there was an accident in front of their house and a neighbor got hurt.  But then, they were already teenagers.

[thoughts]

Yup, I would want my children to call 911 before calling me (and maybe instead of calling me so they could remain on the 911 line to follow directions to keep themselves safe.    The idea that anyone over 9 cannot call 911 because that is over their head is laughable.   And talking to trained persons able to send help is infinitely smarter than calling mom who can do neither of those things.

[Guest]

I guess none of these parents will have Eagle Scout kids.