Emergency responders salute 911 heroes

It seemed like a typical, chilly January day for 15-year-old Andrea Lafont, but little did she know, she was about to become a hero.

Lafont was in a running vehicle with her three-year-old cousin and dog, waiting for her adult cousin who stepped out briefly, when a stranger hopped in the driver seat and drove off, unaware the two children were in the back seat.

“I kind of blanked, and kind of just went into shock,” said Lafont. “When I finally calmed down, all I was thinking about was getting my baby cousin out of the car.”

After driving two blocks and noticing the two youngsters in the back seat, the car thief pulled over and yelled at them to get out.

“I sat down, tried to calm myself down, and got 911 on a call,” said Lafont.

After demonstrating bravery and composure under terrifying circumstances, Lafont and seven other children were honoured at the annual 911 Heroes Awards Ceremony on Friday at Telus Spark.

Each award recipient is nominated by the emergency commu- nications officer (ECO) who answered their 911 call. All winners were chosen by their ECO after the 911 call provided significant assistance to emergency responders and those in need of help.

Jennifer Bowman was the ECO for Lafont’s 911 call and said the 15-year-old remained extremely calm given the circumstances.

For any child finding themselves in an emergency situation, Bowman said it’s important for the kids to realize help is only a phone call away and to try to remember basic information, such as name, address, and current location.

“It’s important to empower them, so they realize they can make that phone call,” said Bowman.

“Make the call, and we can figure it out together.”

Michelle Huang was another brave child who remained composed when she and her grandmother discovered her brother unconscious on the floor.

Huang called her mom first, who then called 911, leading to ECO Erin Stoddart calling Huang back.

Although she was scared, Stoddart said Huang remained calm and even successfully conducted a breathing check on her brother. She also translated the events to her grandmother, who doesn’t speak English, and kept her calm through the experience as well.

Along with Lafont and Huang, Braeden Ralph, Kacey Witter, Leila Kassam-Chin, Udayveer Harikay, Violet Robinson-Amestica, and Patrick Li were all recipients of the 911 Heroes award, and all under 16.