Children calling 999

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AIBU to wonder what the best practise is these days for teaching children to call 999?

-Having a landline isn’t that common anymore, nobody I know has one still except my grandmother. So just picking up the phone and dialling isn’t an option

-Most people have passwords on their mobile phones which their children don’t know (nor do they want them to) so that’s an obstacle

-and then making an emergency call from a locked phone is a bit complicated for smaller children.

Should this not be an argument for having landlines still? What’s the alternative?

You can dial 999 from a locked phone.

Mine has an "emergency call" button below where you enter the pass code.

As a nanny, I've always taught children from about 4 or 5 (depending on the individual child) how to call 999 using the emergency button on the lock screen, also making sure that they know their address and how to unlock the front door (if asked to by an adult).
My sister's kids saved her life by calling for an ambulance at age 6 and 4 when she fell unconscious due to a diabetic hypo. It's really important that kids know how to do this.

To add to my post above, I have an android and having added my emergency contacts anyone can call them from the "emergency call" button on my lock screen.

There's also space for medical information.

I'm sure dialling 999 used to override the pass code but maybe I'm forgetting. I would teach children how to use landlines & make an emergency call from a mobile...and if out & about to ask an adult to call 999

But yes, good argument for landlines and I think they've having a bit of a resurgence anyway

I've shown my 5 year old how to make an emergency call on my phone.

You could also buy an unlocked PAYG brick phone that you keep charged in an accessible location.

The best argument for landlines is actually that its possible for 999 to instantly trace your exact address with them, whereas from a mobile its GPS - which is not always totally reliable. So you also need to make sure the child knows their address.

-and then making an emergency call from a locked phone is a bit complicated for smaller children.

Yes, I did make this point but as I say it’s a bit more complicated for smaller children to understand.

-and then making an emergency call from a locked phone is a bit complicated for smaller children.

It's not really. Show them what to do.

Agreed, you just show them what to do. It's no more complicated than picking up the phone and pressing the numbers

I've nearly always been alone with DC as ex worked long hours. I don't think they'd manage dialling 999 on my phone so I've told them to go to a neighbour, we're lucky to have a lot of friends and teachers on our street though. It did used to worry me when we lived remotely

Don’t forget they need to know their address!

I’ve been through it with my DC, although they’re old enough to have phones now.

They also learnt how to contact the emergency services at school, as well as first aid and how to use the AED and do CPR which is fantastic.

I haven’t had a landline in 20 years.
I can’t see the logic in keeping a landline on the off chance an accident may happen in the home and a child may need to contact emergency services and might not know how to do it via a mobile phone.

I’d presume most children are shown how to call emergence services on a mobile phone - It was on the curriculum of the stay safe program in DDs school.

if the address is too tricky for small kids then teach them the what3words words to give. That will get the emergency services to the right place.

Not really. This is a non issue.

If they dial 911 by mistake as a lot of kids are influenced by American stuff on YouTube etc it will still put them through to our 999 operators.Found this out recently at first aid training for work.

I have emergency on my Lock Screen on my iPhone, if you tap it you can then dial 999. Very simple

Also if you have fibre broadband at home you can plug in a phone via your router, you do actually have a telephone connection even if like us you never use it.

Small children are capable of using a mobile. My son knew how to unlock mine from being very young although as others have said you can make emergency calls from a locked phone, not sure that was the case when DS was small.

Remember to also teach them their name and address and your mobile number. My son could recite my number from being 2 or 3. He was a runner and I was scared he might get lost! He was also told to approach a member of staff or someone with children if that happened, it never did.

All that aside, theres nothing stopping you having/keeping a landline phone if you prefer. I have only recently got rid of mine.

Landlines are definitely having a resurgence in our local community. We are part of the smart phone free childhood so the kids only contact their friends on the landline means we can keep tabs on conversations.

Re teaching small children your phone number, you can get child sized rubber band bracelets with your contact number or medical information likes allergies printed on them now really cheaply. I think as well straps to hold an airtag.

I think the EU emergency number also works

Use Alexa

I taught my dd how to call 999 when she was 4.
I also taught her our address kinda like a song, in a singsong tone, iykwim.
She found it easier to remember when she sang it.

There's no extra complications when it's what is normal. There's a time when many only had access to public phones, in an emergency they would have to know to go to one. Or back when rotary phones were a thing, that's more complicated, or at least as complicated as pressing a button and dialling the numbers.

Landlines are still somewhat common, nearly half of all homes in the country. But I dont think there is any real likelihood of confusion of difficulty in teaching kids to call emergency services on a mobile.

20 years ago, even less, I can't say I agree that was particularly logical.

Until very recently landlines worked even in fairly major power cuts (it was possible for them to go out, but rare). Having one for an emergency where the mobile happened to run out of battery or even get damaged during the emergency, or for prolonged times without power so you can't charge and need to remain in contact, was hardly not a benefit and definitely a good and sensible security backup.

Rightly or wrongly, most children will have seen and used a mobile phone from a much earlier age then ever before, so there's no actual need for the landline over this. Kids just need to be taught when and how, like always.

Get an old bog standard mobile phone. Keep it charged and unlocked.....no SIM needed for 999 calls, could even put an address tag on it to help.