Heheh, nope, I ain't live in the North Pole. Several of my friends went to college in Fairbanks, though.
OMG. That is the BEST STORY EVER. What a sweet little guy!! I'm getting a little choked up. That is an awesome, awesome story.
Y'know...there is a shocking percentage of adults don't know how to describe their building as well as that little kiddo. A lot of people mistakenly assume we have e-911 (enhanced 911) and can automatically tell where their physical location is. We don't have e911.
The only time I've had to call 911 as a "civilian" (i.e., without a radio to call dispatch and ask for an ambulance) was when I was 18 or 19. I was at a friend's house with a bunch of other friends in the summertime. It was late at night, but it was gorgeous outside, and as we were leaving to walk to a nearby grocery store I noticed a car idling outside one of the buildings. I thought it was a little strange because it was summer, not the middle of winter, so there would be zero need to warm up your car. I brushed it off, and we kept on to the grocery store.
When we came back the same car was still idling. We were too scared to go up and see what was wrong, but I could see a guy slumped over the steering wheel. (Kids, the #1 rule is to never enter a scene until it's declared "safe"). I was very scared and all my friends were just shocked. I said, "you guys, we HAVE to call 911.) One of my friends said, "I'm not getting involved." I ignored him and tried to calm down so that I could place a coherent call. I was pissed because I remembered the story of Kitty Genovese, the woman in New York who was stabbed to death in full view of her neighbors, because nobody wanted to "get involved" and call for help, or even lift a finger to help her.
I picked up the phone and tried to get a clear mental picture of all the info that the dispatcher would need. Dialing the numbers was really scary. I got on the phone with the dispatcher and after a bunch of stammering, asked for an ambulance cuz there was a guy slumped over his steering wheel, car still idling, and he'd been there for at least 45 minutes since I noticed the vehicle.
I think that the dude was just drunk and passed out, but I have no way of knowing. I don't know if he was okay, but I feel good knowing that I was able to get him some help.
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4-year-old aided mom by dialing 911
COLLAPSE: He knew what to do from a book his grandmother gave him.
Daily News staff
Published: April 30, 2007
Last Modified: May 1, 2007 at 02:10 AM
FAIRBANKS -- A preschooler knew to call 911 when his mother collapsed and lost consciousness, thanks to a children's book his grandmother had sent several months earlier.
Tony Sharpe was home in North Pole with his mother, Courtenay, on April 10 when she blacked out during a gall bladder attack.
The 4-year-old went to the phone and reached the North Star Volunteer Fire Department by dialing the emergency number.
He told a dispatcher: "Mommy is sick. Mommy needs an ambulance. Mommy fell over. She is sleeping," according to a recording of the call.
"Can you call the ambulance?" he continued. "When Daddy gets here, Daddy will see if there's something wrong with mommy."
The boy then described the family's apartment building, which is white with a blue roof.
Courtenay Sharpe was conscious and barely able to speak when firefighters arrived.
Her son had practiced dialing 911 countless times in one of his favorite books, "It's Time to Call 911: What to do in an Emergency." The interactive book rewards its reader with a blast of emergency sirens and a cheery "good job" when 911 is punched into the keypad.
"You know kids," Courtenay Sharpe said, "once they latch onto a book, they want the same story read to them over and over again. After awhile, he pretty much knew the book by heart."
The boy will be honored in May by the fire department in Fairbanks with a T-shirt, a plaque and a ride on a fire engine.
His parents rewarded him with a much-wanted puppy, Bear, an 8-month-old golden retriever and Labrador mix adopted from an animal shelter.
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Topic: 4 Year Old Calls 911 (Read 4857 times)