And the award goes to... the bravest kids in Calgary!A bunch of courageous kids received awards Friday for having the guts to call 911 — when so many might cower or freeze in an emergency."These heroes stepped up," stated Deputy Chief of Calgary 911, Dan Heyde."They picked up their phones.""They dialed 911, they gave locations, descriptions and updates that allowed first responders to arrive quickly.".Here are the stories of kids' bravery that are worth sharing... • Kids like 13-year-old Dakota Semeniuk, who, "On May 20, showed incredible bravery and maturity beyond his years when he and his mother witnessed a serious motor vehicle collision along the way to a dentist appointment," stated Heyde."While his mom rushed to assist the injured, Dakota immediately called the 911, and calmly relayed critical information to emergency communications officer, Jenny.""He gave an accurate location, detailed vehicle descriptions, and a clear account of the scene.""This helped fire, police and emergency medical service crews arrive quickly and be prepared to assist those in need.".Another exceptional story is that of eight-year-old Esther and Emma five-year-old Zindi, who called 911 when there were no adults around."After hearing a loud thud, the girls went to investigate and discovered their mom had fallen and was experiencing a serious medical emergency with no other adults in the home, they still knew exactly what to do," stated Heyde."The sisters immediately dialed 911, and were connected with emergency communications officers, even though the girls weren't sure of their exact address, Emma and Esther gave descriptions of their home and their surroundings, and helped first responders arrive quickly." .This 15-year-old, Kalee McNair Morin, expressed concern for her friend and took action."Out of concern for a close friend experiencing a mental health crisis, despite her friend's plea not to involve anyone, Kalee knew that real help was needed," Heyde stated. "Calling Emergency Services was the right thing to do, and her selfless choice, driven by love and genuine care, showed a depth of wisdom far beyond her years."Preston Taylor is a 12-year-old who showed incredible composure and calm in a dangerous situation.."On a sunny spring day, Preston decided to explore a ridge on foot and suddenly found himself trapped precariously on a cliffside with a river below him and crumbling footing underneath him," Heyde explained."Although he did not know his exact location, Preston immediately called 911, and stayed on the line with emergency communications officer Terry, remaining remarkably calm, he carefully described how he had gotten from his house to the trail with turn-by-turn instructions."Eight-year-old Omya and younger brother, Shivansh Dey helped their mother "during the frightening medical emergency at home.""When their mother suddenly became ill, Omya and Shivansh were understandably scared, and being that they were home alone, they immediately called their dad for help," stated Heyde.."While their father called 911, Omya stepped up to take charge of the situation.""When Lieutenant Schwandt and his crew arrived on scene from the Calgary fire department, they were met by Omya and Shivansh, who bravely and confidently guided them into their home."Hunter Shoults, an 11-year-old who showed "remarkable maturity" in the face of a high-stress situation.After Hunter's family was involved in a crash, "Hunter immediately called 911 and calmly provided Emergency Communications Officer Michelle with the location of the incident."."He was able to give accurate vehicle descriptions, including license plates, ensuring that police, fire and ambulance crews had the critical information they needed to respond quickly," stated Heyde.And last but certainly not least, there's Saul Osinski, a 12-year-old who saved an individual from a fire."While on a school break, [Saul] noticed smoke and went to investigate, discovering a nearby home had smoke coming from it with alarms sounding inside," stated Heyde"Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Saul immediately called 911, providing Emergency Communications Officer Matt with the exact address of the location and excellent details about where he was seeing the smoke coming from. "Once the firefighters arrived and entered the home, they found an individual who could not escape on his own.
