What The Tech?: Kids and 9-1-1

CHARLOTTE – 9 out of every 10 elementary-age children are unable to call 9-1-1. That is the finding of a study done last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It found the reasons are because parents never taught them how, or they have no access to a smartphone or landline. It used to be easier to teach kids how to call for help. Just pick up the receiver and punch the buttons for 9-1-1. These days there are few landline phones in operation and most parents do not allow their very young children to have their own smartphone.

What would your child do if there is a medical emergency involving mom, dad, or a grandparent? Would they know where to find a phone and use it?

Even if a child can locate a smartphone what can they do if the phone is locked with a passcode?

iPhones and Android devices will connect to 9-1-1 call centers and share location information even if the phone is locked.

Here are a few ways a child can call 9-1-1 from a locked smartphone:

● Ask Siri to call 911. It’s one of just a few things someone can do on an iPhone without unlocking it. The phone will dial the nearest emergency service location.● On iPhones and Android devices, teach the child to swipe up from the bottom of the screen. On all devices, this will display an “emergency” button which they can press to call up the phone’s keypad. Teach them how to dial 911 by pressing the buttons or icons.
● Teach children how to use the Emergency SOS feature on iPhones. This is done by pressing the button on the side 5 times. The phone will sound an alarm, dial 911 and send text messages to the emergency contacts set up on the phone. Emergency SOS and emergency contacts should be set up within settings.

It is a good idea to practice these scenarios with children of any age. When you do practice, set the phone to “airplane mode” so the call won’t go out to the 911 call centers.

What if the child can’t locate a smartphone? By now you probably have an old smartphone lying around the house. Leave that phone on a charger somewhere in the house and use it as the family emergency phone. You can connect it to your home WiFi network but even if you don’t, the phone will still call 911 in SOS mode.

These few steps may mean the difference in life and death in an emergency situation.