4-year-old called 911 to talk about swimming and soccer—the team turned up with a special surprise
Children might make some honest mistakes just out of curiosity at times. However, a police department wanted to make sure that a 4-year-old wouldn't regret his accidental call to 911. The boy, Micah, had called the emergency service just to chat about his love for swimming and soccer. The dispatcher talked to the boy in a friendly way and decided to check on him and his brother, Mitch. They also planned a special surprise for the boys, per a post by Farmington Hills Police Department, who go by @officialfhpd on Instagram.
"This weekend, a curious four-year-old accidentally dialed 911 — not for an emergency, but to share how much he loves swimming and soccer!" the post read. The dispatchers politely talked to Micah and Officer El-Hage went to check in on the boys. The officer gave both brothers a chance to talk and look at the patrol cars, as well as to meet some of the officers. During their visit, the team learned that Mitch was celebrating his birthday on Sunday and decided that they would give the kids a special surprise. "Our day shift team came together to make his special day even more memorable with a surprise visit!" the department went on. They had a special reason behind everything they did.
"While accidental 911 calls do happen, we always want kids to feel safe and comfortable reaching out to us." The officers turned up at the house with gifts and balloons and the boys were really excited to meet them. "Turning a small mistake into a moment of connection is what community policing is all about. Great job, day shift." El-Hage had told the boys that he would see them the next day during his first visit. "I just kept it vague just in case, because you never know if you’re going to be busy the next day. My plan was to maybe get them something for soccer," the man said, per TODAY.com. He got the boys a soccer net, an honorary officer badge, a plastic police hat and played soccer with them to celebrate the day.
The officer shared that the call felt special and he thought that he had to do something because he has a son, too. "I just did it for the kids, honestly. I just see my son there, so being a dad, I think every day I can understand that that’s what it’s about for me," El-Hage went on. People appreciated the kind gesture from the department and their wonderful work to make the kids feel comfortable and happy, even after the accidental call in the comments section of the post.
View this post on Instagram
@realestateresponder wrote, "In nearly ten years of serving our community as a paid-on-call firefighter, I’ve seen FHPD in action frequently. This post really does capture the true spirit of what I’ve seen from the men and women of FHPD. I can honestly say I’m proud to live and work in a community policed by our professional officers!" @michigan_fiveo commented, "Awesome and excellent job by Farmington Hills Police Department, love to see this." @pk88mom remarked, "This is amazing! Way to go, Farmington Hills Police Department!"