Kindergartners learned about calling 911 in emergencies and the role of first responders Wednesday at Lincoln Elementary School. This new program by Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer Ethan Thomas will also be offered to Lincoln first graders today.

“This is my first time teaching children this young. I usually teach fifth graders during DARE classes,” said Thomas, who is with the Great Bend Police Department. “I really enjoyed it and the class on first responders and 911 was a success.”

Children reviewed how to call 911 and how to recognize an emergency. The students took turns answering questions about potential situations and determined if each was an emergency or not.

“Today’s class is to teach these children on what an emergency is, how to recognize the police, firefighters and EMTs as first responders,” Thomas said. “They even learned that their teacher could be a first responder along with their parents in case of something happening.” 

According to Thomas, the classes are not part of the DARE program, but part of a series of new classes that will be taught to kindergartners and first graders. Lincoln Elementary was the pilot class and because it went well the classes will continue at other schools.

“I think the first class went very well. The students really paid attention and were very quick to answer questions,” Thomas said. “I will make arrangements with other schools and see if I can teach this class to more students.”

Thomas also has lessons on bullying, stranger danger, how to react if the school has to be put on lock-down, and good things and bad things inside the home.