Programs » Dealings with Emergency Responders
Reccommendations for Parents/Care-Givers Dealings with Police
- Make sure they know police are their friend and will help them.
- Take your child to the PD to meet the officers and hear the sirens, etc.
- Teach them to identify themselves, and the names and numbers of loved ones that can assist.
- If the child is non-verbal, make sure they have wear some type of identification.
- Explain that they should NEVER touch an officer's weapon.
- Tell them that they should ALWAYS keep their hands visible to the officer at all times.
- If an officer wants to interview or interrogate them, they should advise that they want their parent-care giver present.
- Teach them to tell the officer if they have sensitivities to sound or lights, etc, and to let the officer know if they are uncomfortable, etc.
Reccommendations for Parents/Care-Givers Dealings with Fire/Rescue/EMS
- Take your child to the fire station/rescue squad so that they can see what a fireman looks like with all of their gear on, including the oxygen mask, bulky coats and helmet.
- Make sure they know what it's like to have a blood pressure cuff on; to feel a stethoscope on their chest and back, etc.
- Make sure you have working smoke detectors; practice escape routes.
- Assign one family member the specific duty to get the child w/ autism out of the dwelling and stay with then to make sure they don't re-enter to retrieve some object, pet, etc.
Please fill out the information sheet and give it to your local police, fire and rescue departments. If you live in a rural area, provide the info to your Sheriff's Dept. And the Maine State Police. If your child tends to run off, contact your local Maine Warden Service as well.