PARIS – Three presentations to teach schoolchildren and adults how to use the statewide 911 emergency phone system are scheduled this month in Oxford County.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, trained volunteers from the Oxford County Regional Communications Center will attend Hiram Public Safety Day to give instructions on what information to provide to 911 dispatchers.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, students from kindergarten to grade three at Hebron Station School will be taught how to properly use the emergency services phone network. The instruction begins at 9 a.m., Oxford County dispatcher Jeff Clark said.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, students at the Mildred M. Fox School in Paris will have volunteers from the Paris communications center instruct them.

A presentation was made at the Otisfield Community School on Sept. 15.

The program is part of a statewide initiative to educate children and adults about Maine’s new emergency response system. The computerized network sends 911 calls to specified regional answering centers where computer screens tell dispatchers the exact address of the call for faster response by police, rescue and fire personnel. The caller’s name and phone number are also logged, along with the nature of the emergency.

The Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Services Communication Bureau has developed a core curriculum and has trained volunteers statewide to implement it in their regions.

Volunteers from the communications center will be teaching the program this fall to schoolchildren and groups and organizations interested. For information or to schedule a presentation phone Clark at (207) 743-9554, Option 1.

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