Absolutely Colorado: 9-year-old honored with 911 Hero Award
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A 9-year-old girl is being deemed a hero after calling 911 when her mom fell unconscious earlier this year.
Zoe Thomas was given a 911 Hero Award by the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority Wednesday evening. Zoe called 911 on May 17 of this year after she heard her mom fall outside, EPSO says.
The 911 Hero Award honors kids 16 or younger who created a positive outcome by saving a life, significantly reducing property loss or stopping a crime by calling 911, according to officials.
Zoe called 911 for help and waited on the line with an emergency services call taker until the Stratmoor Hills Fire Department (SHFD) arrived, according to officials.
Zoe was honored with the award at SHFD on Wednesday night, with her mom by her side.
Zoe's mom, Kaitlin Kulp, says she is a Type-1 diabetic and had practiced with her daughter the proper way to contact first responders. Zoe says her school also brings firefighters and police officers in every year to teach kids when and how to call 911 in case of an emergency.
Kulp says she is proud of her daughter for calling 911 to get her help.
"I mean, she just, like I said, she amazes me every day," Kulp said. "When I found out that she was the one who called 911 for me, I really started crying, and I'm like, 'Man, I put this kid through the wringer,' you know, but she's just so strong and brave and I just, she's the best."
Zoe says she wants other kids to know it's okay to call 911 in an emergency, and first responders are there to help.
"What I wanted to tell them is that, it's OK to call 911 because you know they're gonna get there as fast as they can and they're gonna be, you're gonna be OK, and like no matter what, they'll always try to do their best," Zoe said.
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