School children across the North West are to learn vital skills about what to do in the event of an emergency as North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has produced a short film to educate them about what to expect if they ever need to call for an ambulance.

The short film, targeted at children of primary school age, follows seven-year-old Daisy as she finds her Grandad unconscious, showing as she bravely dials 999 and how this triggers a series of events which leads to her Grandad being taken to hospital.

The Trust’s mascot, Pandamedic, is featured in the film, explaining how emergency calls are handled in a way that children can understand and relate with.
The video is aimed at making youngsters feel calmer and more confident about what to do in an emergency as well as educate them about how the ambulance service works and what happens when they dial 999.

Urgent Care Development Manager for NWAS, Julie Butterworth, said: “We have produced this video as part of ongoing work that we are doing as a Trust to teach school children about when they should and shouldn’t call us, highlighting the message that 999 is for life-threatening emergencies only.

“It can be a very daunting experience for anyone to have to dial 999 but particularly for young people and we hope that by educating them about what to expect before they need us, they will feel more at ease if they ever do.”

The five minute film will be used by NWAS as a teaching aid during school visits by ambulance crews and is also available to be downloaded, along with supporting materials by primary schools and watched online at home using the following You Tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjPf9QH32PA