First- and third-graders at Kent’s George T. Daniel Elementary School attended a birthday party last Friday, but it wasn’t a typical birthday celebration.
The party was for Emery the Emergency Penguin – the mascot for King County’s Enhanced 911 (E-911) Program – and featured games and activities to teach children about calling 911. First responders – including police, fire and medics – were on hand with their emergency vehicles for the students to explore.
“We want to get kids comfortable with responders, so we really wanted to bring them in, but we wanted to teach the how, when and where of calling 911,” E-911 Program Manager Kayreen Lum said. “If (children) are not comfortable with having someone come, they are not going to call 911, so that is really key for us.”
The event coincides with National 911 Education Month, which is recognized each April. Last year, the E-911 Program partnered with the Seattle Public Library and King County Library System to visit local libraries and have local first responders read the story “Emery and Ice Carnival” to teach children about calling 911.
“This year we were like what else could we do?” Lum said. “We wanted to work with a school, so that’s where we got the idea for Emery’s birthday party.”
A new book about Emery’s birthday party will be released in May and become available at county libraries.
“Rather than us going around reading it, it will be one that you can check out,” Lum said.
Daniel Elementary Principal Patty Drobny enjoyed watching her students have a good time during the party, while learning about 911.
“You can really see the joy on their faces,” she said. “They don’t really get this very often. Our kids today feel like they are on top of the world, and I am loving every minute of it.”
The importance of 911 is taught in the school, Drobny said, but the interactive games and meeting first responders brought the concept home.
“We need our kids to feel safe emotionally, physically,” she said. “They need to know if there is an emergency what to do.”
Education about 911 is particularly important at Daniel Elementary, where nearly 50 percent of the children speak a language other than English at home, Drobny said.
“For a lot of our students, 911 is a new concept,” she said. “We just registered seven kids from Afghanistan this week alone, so there are students here who have never even thought there was such a thing. It is new learning for some of ours, good review for others and really a trust building for others.”
During April, parents and caregivers are encouraged to celebrate National 911 Education Month by teaching children the how, when and where of calling 911. Downloadable resources, including a 911 emergency song, a coloring book and smartphone 911 practice page, are available at kingcounty.gov/911.
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