In an effort to educate the diverse communities of King County about 911, the Office of Emergency Management has launched a new program.

One out of every five King County residents are born in another country, with more than 170 languages spoken in schools, according to a media release from the Office of Emergency Management. Due to language and cultural barriers, some residents may be unfamiliar with 9-1-1 services. For example, 911 is not a universal emergency number. In China, there are three emergency numbers—110, 119 and 120.

The E-911 Program Office introduced the Emery’s 911 All Stars program at an afterschool program in Burien on Oct. 3.

An approachable character, Emery the Emergency Penguin was used to teach kids the how, when and where of calling 911. Kids learned about 911 in a variety of ways including coloring giant posters illustrating different scenarios, identifying street signs and practicing how to dial on a phone pad. As a fun treat, a surprise musical guest sang the Emery Emergency song.

The kids filled out a pre-quiz prior to the class and a post-quiz following the class to assess what they learned from the lesson. One skilled student was selected as the Emery’s 911 All Star demonstrating impeccable knowledge of the when, how and where of calling 911. The kids received information pieces to take home to their parents in English, Spanish, Chinese and Somali.

For more information, including downloadable resources, visit kingcounty.gov/911.