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Life Lessons: Teaching children to use 911 is important

A (very) young man was honored last week as a hero of Wood County for having the presence of mind to call 911 when his mother had a seizure while it was just the two of them at home.

“My mommy needs help,” 3-year-old David Lee Mosley III told dispatcher Patrick Smith at the Wood County 911 Center. (And, by the way, bless you, sir, for understanding quickly this was not a child playing with the phone.)

Because David’s mother, Kristen Lee Carter, has had seizures most of her life, she and David’s stepfather Kenneth Allen Carter Jr. have worked with David on how to call 911.

It is an important lesson for any child, not just those living in a house where the adults have a better idea they might need to make an emergency call some day. None of us can know when an emergency might occur. And young David is proof that even a 3-year-old is capable of understanding when and how to dial 911 for help.

Make sure your children understand what to do in an emergency situation, and that their first thought is to dial 911 to get help from first responders. It helps if they are also able to tell dispatchers where they are, and as much about any medical conditions in the household as possible. But that first step is the most important.

Bravo to David for knowing how to take it. He is a hero, indeed.

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