*Written for Connections (telecommunications business) newsletter to educate customers about Enhanced 9-1-1.

What Your Children Need to Know about Enhanced 9-1-1

You only have to remember one number in an emergency: 9-1-1. NorthStar Access’ Enhanced 9-1-1 automatically identifies the number and location you’re calling from and routes your emergency to the appropriate department. In seconds, help is on the way.

This feature is particularly valuable when the caller is young. Emergencies are stressful times, and children, depending on their age, may or may not be able to communicate their location and phone number. But with Enhanced 9-1-1 that doesn’t matter. As soon as the child hits 9-1-1 that information is downloaded to the dispatcher’s screen—all without a word being spoken.

The best way to handle an emergency is to be prepared before one happens. So if you have children, this can mean sitting down with them and talking about 9-1-1. Go over possible emergency scenarios. Show them how to dial 9-1-1 or the use the phone’s speed-dial function.

Children should also be aware that they may not hear a dial tone immediately. This is normal with 9-1-1 calls, which on average take 10 seconds to route through the emergency system. Remind your children not to hang up. They should stay on the line until a dispatcher picks up. However, should they hang up, the dispatcher will call back using the number provided by Enhanced 9-1-1 to determine whether there’s an emergency.

Once the dispatcher gets them on the line, she will ask the who, what and where questions. Who’s hurt? What’s happened? Where are you? This is to confirm the address, if the child is able to do so, and assess the emergency response—police, fire and/or medical.

Every year children save lives through their quick response to emergencies. With Enhanced 9-1-1, stressful situations are made easier. And even if you never use it, Enhanced 9-1-1 offers peace of mind knowing it’s there.

Writer

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