INDIANAPOLIS -- Almost half of the emergency calls made to the Marion County 911 Center in 2015 came from wireless phones.
With that in mind, Marion County Sheriff John Layton wants parents to make sure they've shown their children how to call 911.
"When I was a kid, up until the past 10 years or so, calling 911 was easy. The family telephone was next to the refrigerator, and in case of emergency, you picked up the phone and called 9-1-1. It's not that simple anymore," said Sheriff Layton.
We met a brave little girl this week who this applies to.
Jasmine Nichols woke up Thursday morning to find her grandmother unconscious on the couch. She wouldn't wake up.
Ten-year-old Jasmine went to the phone to dial 911, but the family's landline was down.
“So I leave to find her cell phone, but see, I didn’t know where it was,” Jasmine said. “I was going through her purse, I was looking through her bedroom and everything. Then I just started crying – I didn’t know what to do, I thought this was the end. And then I stopped to think for a second – and I look on the floor, and there was her cell phone.”
Not having a landline to use in an emergency is a real problem any child could face.
To make sure your child knows how to call 911, the sheriff's office recommends these steps:
- Show your child where you usually keep your cell phone
- Teach them how to dial 911 on your cell
- Practice dialing 911 but don't actually call. Explain that 911 is only for real emergencies
- Make sure your child knows your address
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