A song teaching children how to phone 111 in an emergency situation has reached number one on iTunes following a flurry of downloads.
Launched at Point View School in Auckland on Friday morning as a catchy and fun ASB St John in Schools resource, the ‘111 Ambulance Song’ has taken Kiwi kids and parents by storm.
ASB St John in Schools is an educational programme that teaches Kiwi kids to recognise emergency situations and how to respond, emphasises the importance of knowing where their household phone or parents’ mobiles are located and understanding how to dial 111. The song presents a fun way to convey an important message for Kiwi kids’.
St John Director of Community Programmes, Sarah Manley, hopes the popularity of the ‘111 Ambulance Song’ will encourage parents to talk to their kids about what to do in an emergency.
“Teaching children this step-by-step guide might seem simplistic but there is no doubt that this can and will help to save lives. We know that in an emergency every second counts, and by teaching our little ones the basics, it can help equip them to deal with potentially daunting situations,” Ms Manley said.
The ‘111 Ambulance Song’ was produced as a tool for the national ASB St John in Schools programme and was written by New Zealand children’s songwriter and author Chris Sanders and produced by Silver Scroll winner Rikki Morris.
The St John Ambulance service has touched the lives of many New Zealanders, and for singer-songwriter Chris, his involvement is also very personal.
“When I was asked to write this song for St John, I recognised the life-saving potential right away and didn’t hesitate. When I was just a young child myself, I had a very sick turn, but my older sister knowing what to do in an emergency literally helped to save my life. As a father of young children myself, I am delighted to support the ASB St John in Schools programme to help equip more kids with these life-saving skills,” Mr Sanders said.
The ASB St John in Schools ‘111 Ambulance Song’ is available for download on iTunes and Google Play for $2.39, with fifty percent of proceeds from every download going towards St John New Zealand, New Zealand’s most trusted charity.
ASB provide national sponsorship for the programme alongside ACC, enabling it to be delivered to schools with just a gold coin donation sought, where possible, from each participant, to help meet the full cost of administration and delivery.
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