From the Plymouth F.D. Chief: What You Need to Know About Kids Dialing 911 on Smart Phones

by Plymouth Fire Department Deputy Chief Kip Springer

 Every year, pre-school children call 911 to report an emergency or save a family member or loved one.

We know that the number of wireless-only households has been climbing steadily since 2001.

Currently, 71 percent of adults ages 25-34 use smart phones. On average, only 41 percent of all Americans continue to use regular cell phones.

As families give up conventional landlines for cell phones or Smartphones, the Plymouth Fire Department encourages parents to:

• Teach children their home address. Park the home phone in a stationary place so that everyone will know where it is at all times. Post home address by the phone.

• Sit down with their children and have a hands-on training about how to operate their smart phone in an emergency.   

• Consider setting up the home screen to be the same on all home smart phones.

• Teach kids how to access the dial pad if the phone has a pass code lock. Teach them to unlock the phone screen and get to the dial pad.

• Anticipate the different modes the phone might be in when their kids need to use it. Teach them how them how to get back to the dial pad from those screens.

• Most smart phones will allow you to access a dial pad if the phone is locked. Be aware that the steps to do so can vary by manufacturer.