Help! Visiting a kindergarten class tomorrow

[ToledoEMT]

22 five-year-olds. Twenty minute talk. Walk through the ambulance.

HEEEEELP!

Five year olds don't have much of an attention span and I have 20 minutes to fill... I'm looking for things to talk about...

I've got this so far:

What my job is

When to call 911, when not to call

importance of seatbelts and helmets

...

I'm having a hard time coming up with things to talk about. Any help would leave me forever in your debt.

Why am I terrified by a bunch of five year olds?

[Michael]

Puppets can help.

[Defiant1]

Why am I terrified by a bunch of five year olds?

because, they'll gang up on you in no time. here's a suggestion, let them sit in hte drivers seat of the rig, but MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE IT SO THEY CAN BLOW THE HORN!!!! as they WILL find it and WILL blow it, same goes for the siren, also, let them sit in back, that way if they DO ever have to be in the back, they hopefully won't be as scared of being back there, that's all i can think of right now. good luck, and my God have mercy on your soul

[Dustdevil]

You are representing the entire EMS profession to the next generation.

Don't embarrass us.

[AnatomyChick]

LOL Dust... no pressure!

Here's what I have found... your first 20 minutes will seem like FOREVER... then after that you'll have a better feel for what they want and what you can tell them. I think the topics that you have listed are good... I also used to do a "bit" where I would have an adult pretend to be unresponsive, and I'd have the child Shake and Shout to try to get them up.. and then "pretend" to call 9-1-1.

[Michael]

I just phoned an early-childhood expert who had her hands full (as they often do), but she will try to get back to me, and I to you, before your hands are full.

By the way, your audience will have nothing to compare your "performance" to, they don't vote, and they won't remember anyway, so relax. Meanwhile, meditate on the avatar to the left of this message.

[Michael]

And if any of them have are nicknamed after vacuum-cleaners, threaten to deport them to modern Mesopotamia if they don't behave.

[emtI4now]

When I give talks to kids, I always point out that when calling 911 on a cell phone, be sure to give them the phone number you're calling from if you know it and as much information as possible about your location, because if you are in a rural area like we are, we do not have enhanced 911 yet for cell phone capability.

I also ask them about seat belt usage, bicycle helmet usage, etc. to touch on personal safety issues. I show them the inside and outside, including compartments, and some of the equipment, and talk about how when they call 911 that we are coming to help them, and that they shouldn't be afraid.

Usually by the time I talk about all of that, and let them ask a few questions, that fills up about a half hour.

[DJ]

Can you get your dispatch centre involved? You can prep the kids on what questions would be asked if they had to call 911. Also, having dispatch page you can be interesting from a spectator's point of view.

If your service has colouring books, stickers etc. they are good for handouts.

I've got to do a demo for the local sparks/brownie group - but mine is easy, I already know they want to see the trauma doll (bob) bleed big time.

DJ

[Dustdevil]

If at any point you feel like you're losing them, whip out a Foley tray and ask for a volunteer.

Always a crowd pleaser.