Parenting Tool Chest

911 Emergency Readiness Checklist
Help your child feel prepared to handle an emergency with confidence.

Step 1: Know What an Emergency Is
[ ] My child knows what an emergency is (e.g., fire, serious injury, unconscious person)
[ ] My child knows what is not an emergency (e.g., lost toy, scraped knee, boredom)
[ ] We’ve talked through “Is this an emergency?” examples

Step 2: Understand What 911 Is For
[ ] My child knows 911 is for police, fire, and medical help
[ ] My child knows 911 is only for emergencies
[ ] My child knows they can call 911 even if a grown-up isn’t around

Step 3: Practice How to Call 911
[ ] My child knows how to dial 911 on:
  [ ] Landline
  [ ] Cell phone (including lock screen access)
  [ ] Using Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant

[ ] We’ve located the emergency features on our family’s phones
[ ] We’ve set up Emergency SOS and emergency contacts if available
[ ] We’ve practiced using voice commands like “Hey Siri, call 911”

Step 4: Know What to Say
[ ] My child knows their full name
[ ] My child knows their home address
[ ] My child knows the full name of their grown-up (not just “Mommy” or “Grandpa”)
[ ] My child knows how to describe what’s happening
[ ] My child knows to stay on the phone until told to hang up

Step 5: Practice Often
[ ] We’ve role-played different emergency situations
[ ] We practiced using a real phone (in airplane mode)
[ ] We’ve tried a safe 911 practice app (like “Ready Set Dial” or “Kids Practice 911 Dialer”)

Bonus Tip
[ ] We’ve set up an old cell phone as a backup emergency phone
[ ] It’s plugged in and accessible to my child

Post this checklist and review it regularly—it’s one of the most important safety skills your child can learn.

Find more tools and emergency practice resources at ParentingToolChest.com