Program to Teach Children About 911 System

In an attempt to show children how to use the 911 emergency system, the Redondo Beach police and fire departments this week launched “911 For Kids”--a program designed to show youngsters how to report an emergency.

Over the next four months, dispatchers will visit each first-grade class in the school district to teach children about what constitutes an emergency and what kind of information dispatchers need. During the one-hour session, dispatchers will show students an animated video about the 911 system and lead students in a game that teaches them what to look for when they see something suspicious.

“Children are very often the people who should be calling 911,” said Sgt. Paul Wrightsman. “We’re making our best effort to show them that 911 shouldn’t be played around with so that they create good habits for life.”