Desirae Kinahan and son Breckyn, who inspired main character Brandon, enjoy reading Kinahan's book In Case of Emergency, 911 Adventures.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Hatter Desirae Kinahan hopes her new book, In Case of Emergency, 9-1-1 Adventures, will help teach children when it’s appropriate to call 911 and what to do if they ever do have to call.
Having worked as a 911 dispatcher for over 16 years, Kinahan has answered several calls placed by children.
“I’ve talked to many children over the years,” Kinahan, a first-time author, told the News. “There were many times where you’d get a phone call and it was a little voice on the other end (calling from an old cell phone their parents let them play with); because I don’t think many parents understand that even old cell phones that are disabled can still call 911.
“But I actually have had real emergencies with children … So, I wanted to create an informative yet humorous book that will keep the attention of the child while they’re reading it, but give them a little bit of insight as to what they might be asked and what the process looks like, so it’s not super scary if they ever need to call.”
In Kinahan’s experience, many children find calling 911 a bit frightening and intimidating, whether they call for an emergency or by accident.
“A lot of them don’t quite understand who they just called … or they’re scared,” said Kinahan. “Another thing that we’ve found too, is that when children call by accident, they tend to just hang up right away because they’re worried that they’re going to be in trouble.
“But there are times when police still do need to go to double check that the child is (OK) and that there’s nothing in and around the background that the child isn’t able to talk about. So, it does still take that resource off the streets.”
Kinahan feels the book may help deepen children’s understanding of 911, as within several scenarios play out that showcase situations it is appropriate to call 911 in versus ones where a 911-call is not warranted, as well as show the different outcomes of a call.
At the back of the book is a special page where children can, with the assistance of their parent(s), write out emergency contact numbers so they can be prepared in the event of an emergency.
“I think (reading this book) may allow kids to be a little bit more comfortable with emergency situations,” said Kinahan. “And if mom and dad can go over a plan and really sit down with them (after reading the book) it would be a great time to talk about a fire plan or anything else like that.”
Pleased with the reception the book has already received, Kinahan plans to start a 9-1-1 Adventures book series, through which she will explore different topics relating to emergencies.
In Case of Emergency, 9-1-1 Adventures is available for purchase on Amazon.ca.
Hoping to share the book’s message with as many children as possible, Kinahan is also offering book readings/presentations about 911. For more information or to schedule a reading/presentation, email Kinahan at deskin10@gmail.com.
