Sheriff Golden Stresses the Importance of Child Safety Through SEEK 9-1-1 Program

Spring Lake: Sheriff Shaun Golden wants first grade students to learn how to dial 9-1-1 properly through the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office SEEK (Sheriff’s Emergency Education for Kids) 9-1-1 program. On Mar. 10, first graders from the H.W. Mountz Elementary School in Spring Lake were presented with SEEK 9-1-1, which is offered to elementary schools throughout Monmouth County.

“The importance of using the 9-1-1 emergency call number is vital to public safety,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “The goal of SEEK 9-1-1 is to teach children how to get help quickly for their own safety and for their families.”

The SEEK 9-1-1 program includes a fun video featuring animated characters who learn how the 9-1-1 system works. Instructors who conduct the program through the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office gives the students an overview of when to dial 9-1-1, and, provides them with a hands on interactive session using telephone simulators to role play various emergency scenarios. Scenarios include what happens when a child hangs up without speaking to a 9-1-1 public safety telecommunicator, handling an injury, what to do if you are home alone and see a prowler and when it is not appropriate to call 9-1-1.

“The H.W. Mountz School has been participating in this valuable program for several years and we are grateful to the sheriff’s office for helping to ensure the safety of our children and their families,” said Dr. Raymond Boccuti, Superintendent/Principal, Spring Lake School District.

The Monmouth County 9-1-1 Communications Center serves 50 of the county’s 53 municipalities and receives approximately 1,600 calls per day.

A large percentage of the 9-1-1 calls received are wrong numbers, prank calls, hang ups or non-emergencies. During the presentation, SEEK 9-1-1 instructors emphasize the appropriate times to call 9-1-1 and when other non-emergency phone numbers should be used.

“The Sheriff’s Office is committed to safety and youth education and we’re proud to make the SEEK 9-1-1 program available to the H.W. Mountz School,” said Sheriff Golden. “It’s important for students and adults to remember to SEEK 9-1-1 during an emergency.”

For a downloadable version of this press release, click here:  News-Release-Sheriffs-Office-Stresses-Child-Safety-Through-SEEK-9-1-1-Spring-Lake