Child Caller Hiding in a Closet
A 7-year-old boy calls and whispers that there is a fire in the kitchen. He is hiding in his bedroom closet. He says his mother went to the store and he is alone. He does not know his address, but says "we live across from the park with the blue slide" and can see a red mailbox through the window. He says smoke is coming under the bedroom door. He is scared and wants to know if he should stay in the closet. The call has been connected for 40 seconds; no address has been verified. He cannot read the street sign clearly. He knows his mother's first name but not her phone number. The dispatcher's ANI/ALI display shows a wireless call with only a general area, not a verified street address.
1. How do you keep the child on the line and obtain a usable location?
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Use calm, simple language and praise him for calling. Do not overwhelm him with questions. Ask one thing at a time: what he can see outside the window, what color the house or apartment building is, whether there is a number on the mailbox or door, and what the park looks like. Use his own landmarks-'across from the park with the blue slide' and 'red mailbox'-as searchable information, and relay them to dispatch immediately with the general ANI/ALI area. Ask whether he is in a house or apartment and whether there is a number near the door. Confirm his first name and his mother's first name. Do not hang up to call him back; keep the line open and let dispatch work the location. If another dispatcher is available, have that person search the area while you keep the child talking. The goal is to send units toward the best-known area without delaying help for perfect address verification.
2. What pre-arrival instructions would you give a child in a closet with smoke under the bedroom door?
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Tell him not to stay in the closet if smoke is getting into the room. A closet has little ventilation and no exit. In simple words: 'Go to the bedroom window. Stay low, near the floor. Do not open the bedroom door if it is warm or if smoke is thick.' Have him close the bedroom door and put blankets or clothes at the bottom of the door if he can do it safely. If he can open the window without smoke pouring in, tell him to open it and stay by the window, yelling for help. Tell him not to hide and not to jump. Reassure him that firefighters are coming and that he is doing a good job. Keep instructions short and check that he understands by asking him to repeat back one step at a time.
3. The child suddenly says the smoke is now in the bedroom. What changes in your instructions and dispatch information?
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This changes the situation from a protected room to an immediate life threat. Tell him to go to the window, open it if he can, and stay low with his face near the opening. Do not tell him to jump. If there is a safe roof or ledge immediately outside, that is a judgment for responders, not a instruction to give a 7-year-old over the phone. Tell him to yell 'fire' and wave something out the window. Update responding units immediately: 'Child trapped, smoke now in bedroom, third-party wireless, best location is across from park with blue slide, red mailbox.' Keep him on the line and keep instructions minimal. If he becomes hard to hear or stops responding, continue giving simple directions and notify units of the change. The dispatch priority remains rescue, and the location update may change which units are sent.