WY Quality Counts

Teaching a Preschooler Emergency Procedures

Date : Wednesday, November 02 2011
Source: Autourina Mains

I don’t think anyone ever feels like they are prepared for an emergency, but it is amazing how instincts kick in and your brain is able to pull up the emergency procedures it has learned.  Though a preschooler cannot learn to perform CPR (they are just not strong enough), they can learn basic emergency skills like calling 911.  Teaching a preschooler how to dial 911 and how to talk to the dispatcher is a procedure that may save a life and should be reviewed with the child on a monthly basis much like a fire drill is practiced monthly. 

You can start by asking the child simple questions like, "What would you do if there was a fire in the house?" or "If you saw a stranger trying to break in to the house, or what would you do if you could not wake up mom or dad?"  

Role playing with the child and explaining different scenarios helps the child get a clearer picture of what an emergency may be.  For instance if the adult is taking a nap, that is different than if he/she fell off the ladder and does not ‘wake up’.   It is important that the child understand what an emergency is because you don’t want the child to call 911 when the pet is missing or he/she has a simple scratch or if his/her bicycle is stolen.

It is also a good idea to take the child to the police department, the fire department and the hospital to meet the emergency workers so that in case of an emergency the child won’t be scared to see the workers in their gears (firefighters dressed in their gear can look scary to a little child).  We have the fire department and the police departments come to visit our child care center every year.  The firefighters put on their mask and explain to the children that though they look and sound scary talking through their mask, the masks keep them safe.

The child needs to know some basic information when calling 911. Role play with the child as if you were the dispatcher and ask questions like;

·         Where do you live?

·         What is wrong?

·         Who is hurt?

·         Is the person awake or asleep?

·         What is your name?

Though we teach children to not talk to strangers, an emergency is a time when they have to talk to a stranger.  Explain to them to stay on the phone and keep talking to the 911 people until they hear the sirens, and tell the dispatcher what they hear.  It is important that they do not hang up the phone and stay on till the emergency crews arrive. It is also recommended to keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone (family numbers, spouse, poison control) point it out to the child and let him/her practice dialing the numbers.  Show the child where the first aid kits are and what is in them.  Teach the child his/her home address and phone number and make sure your house number is clearly visible.  

Helpful Books: 

Impatient Pamela says Learns to Call 911 By: Mary Koski