Young Calgarians honoured for bravery, courage, and quick thinking at annual 911 Heroes Awards Ceremony

The City of Calgary is recognizing the quick thinking, calmness and bravery of seven young individuals who went above and beyond during an emergency to help someone in need.

The annual 911 Heroes Awards Ceremony held Friday honoured children as young as 10-years-old who were able to get in contact with first responders in the events of car crashes, assaults, fires, and home emergencies.

Deputy Chief of Calgary 911 Operations Glenda Sahlen said the kids were nominated by emergency communications officers who were amazed at how quickly they were able to call for help.

“It’s so important that kids know their address, they know where they are, they know to stay on the phone with us and that we can help them through it,” she said.

“The fact that some of these really young kids in extraordinary circumstances are able to call 911 and get help from their parents on scene is incredible.”

The heroes’ stories are as follows below:

ETHAN KIM (11-YEARS-OLD)

Ethan and his family had just finished eating lunch at a restaurant with his family and as they were driving away, their car was struck by another driver who fled the scene.

At just 11-years-old, Ethan was able to remain calm, take a picture of the fleeing vehicle which included the license plate and help Calgary police identify the suspect.

“I was scared for my brother because he started crying and he said he kind of got hurt and my mom was shocked too so I just called 911,” Kim said.

“I didn’t know what to do but I thought 911 was the best idea instead of staying shocked. It’s so important to stay calm because the more you freak out, the more you have trouble thinking what to do.”

Thankfully Kim was able to get help for his family and help keep them out of harm’s way as first responders arrived on scene to give medical attention to his brother.

DHRUV LUHAR (11-YEARS-OLD)

Dhruv Lahar faced a terrifying situation when he noticed someone trying to steal his family’s vehicle while relaxing at home.

He was able to jump into action by calling 911, providing critical information to the Emergency Communications Officer including that the person had a knife.

At one point, the offender tried to drive away in the vehicle, but Lahar remained calm and helped translate to his family that help was on the way.

“I was scared but I had to call the cops but if she got away, there could have been other people that she could have tried to hurt or steal from.”

“I feel proud knowing that I was able to call the police and receive this award. Age doesn’t matter, just do what you have to do if you want to help others.”

The 911 Heroes Awards

EMILIA JONES (10-YEARS-OLD)

Emilia Jones was able to come to her mother’s rescue after a very stuck bathroom door refused to budge open.

The 10-year-old was able to help her mom by calling 911 and providing critical information to first responders including her address for them to respond as quickly as possible.

Jones reassured her mother that help was on the way and helped her stay calm.

“She slammed the door shut and the door knob exploded, so she told me to call 911 and I did. I was panicking at first, but once the firefighters showed up I felt calmer,” she said.

“It’s pretty important to stay calm in situations so kids please stay calm in moments of emergencies. If there is an emergency please call 911 and if parents or bystanders are able to help out they can too.”

Jones’ mother Paula Rosvold said she was so proud of her daughter.

“Something had exploded on the door knob and I couldn’t get out of the bathroom so I instinctively panicked at first,” she said.

“I asked my daughter to call 911, I was so relieved to be honest because if she hadn’t been there, I’d probably still be stuck in the bathroom.”

AKASHDEEP DHALIWAL (10-YEARS-OLD)

Akashdeep Dhaliwal was able to take control of a chaotic scene at just 10-years-old after another driver ran a stop sign and collided with the vehicle he and his family were in.

He was able to obtain excellent descriptions of the vehicle and ensured that proper resources from Calgary fire and police could be dispatched to the scene as soon as possible.

Dhaliwal made sure that no one was hurt and helped translate safety instructions for his father who has a minimal understanding of the English language.

“My dad doesn’t know much English so I had to think quickly and help him out,” he said. “I was in complete shock, wondering what was happening, but then I thought let’s just wait, talk to the 911 operator and then I can think about what is happening.”

“It’s so important to not let your guard down and if anything happens, I believe that anyone can help save someone in a situation as well and prevent anyone getting injured.”

IZZIAH RICHARDS (15-YEARS-OLD)

Izziah Richards was waiting to be picked up by his mom outside of a fast-food restaurant when a vehicle in the drive-thru caught his attention.

He witnessed a passenger engaged in a verbal altercation which escalated to the driver hitting the passenger multiple times.

Thankfully Richards was able to call 911 immediately to help the passenger, providing the Emergency Communications Officer with an excellent vehicle and suspect description.

The critical details helped police respond quickly.

JADE NICHOLL (14-YEARS-OLD) AND ALEKSANDER TYMCHUK (15-YEARS-OLD)

Friends Jade Nicholl and Aleksander Tymchuk were getting off the bus after school one day when they smelled smoke in the air.

Instead of ignoring it, they went to investigate and discovered that a garage was on fire and that it was spreading towards a vehicle and a fence.

The pair quickly knocked on the door of the home, called 911 and let the Emergency Communications Officer know about the size and location of the fire and that a vehicle was at risk of catching fire.

Both kids acted calmly and quickly, making sure others were safe as first responders arrived on scene.