5 days ago
First Responder Friday: Clemson Police teach children how to call 911
CLEMSON, S.C. (WSPA) – When you call 911, it's often during one of life's worst moments, but what if a child has to dial the number in an emergency?
'The hardest callers we deal with are children,' 911 dispatcher Pam Gravley, of the Clemson Police Department, said. 'Whether they're terrified or they simply don't know their information technology.'
Gravley is an experienced dispatcher with more than 21 years of service to the City of Clemson. She's also the author of children's books. The idea came from bedtime stories she created with her family at bedtime.
'She (granddaughter) would pick her stuffed animals, and we would tell stories before she went to bed, and that was every night,' Gravley told us. 'They write the stories. I just put them on paper.'
The characters in her books are all stuffed animals, but in her most recent work, Gravley decided to combine her job with her passion. 'Calling 911: An Interactive Guide to Calling 911 for Children' was published this year.
'The night before I started this book, we actually had a call from an eight-year-old who was at home with his six-year-old brother. He did not know his address. He did not know he lived in an apartment.'
Gravley's book is designed to be read by children and their parents or guardians. It contains instructions for adults and some interactive projects for young people to learn vital information that can help in an emergency.
'Every second counts, and if we can get to your street, we're going to find you,' the dispatcher told 7NEWS. 'If you can give me the number of your house, we will go door to door until we make contact with you. But it's so simple, just teach your child your address.'
Gravley reminded us that while cell phones can ping a location, that information is often insufficient for arriving first responders, especially at an apartment complex.
The book contains pages where children can write out their name, address and their parents' names. She suggests parents post it in a common place, like a kitchen refrigerator, but at a lower level where children can see it.
Now that the book is published, Gravely wants 'Calling 911: An Interactive Guide To Calling 911 For Children' to be read by children, parents, groups, schools, churches and more.
'I would love for this to be in the hands of every child in the school district across the state,' said Gravley. 'It should be part of the curriculum, because you never know. And it's not just a book. It's going to save their life or someone in their family's life.'
You can order any of her children's books by visiting her website.
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