Kids who called 911 honoured at Calgary awards ceremony

Several young Calgarians were honoured Friday at the 911 Heroes Award ceremony at Telus Spark.

The awards are given out every year by Calgary 911 to recognize heroic acts by kids who are sixteenor under.

Andrea Lafont, 15, was in a car with her three-year-old cousin and the family dog when they were caught up in a terrifying situation.

A man jumped into the car they were in and started driving away before realizing there were kids sat in the back of the vehicle.

He stopped and yelled at them to get out and left them at the side of the road, where Lafont called 911.

"I didn't know what to feel, it was so suddenand I didn't understand what was going on until a block or two," said Lafont.

"The man was shocked and scared, saying he didn't want to go to jail for kidnapping," saidLafont.

"I gave myself a couple of breaths and called 911," she added.

On the other end of the line that day was 911 operator Jennifer Bowman, who nominated Lafont for her award.

"She was surprisingly calm," said Bowman.

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"It's not every day that happens and the fact she was so calm and composed is what really struck me," she said.

Bowman added getting to a phone and making a 911 call is the biggest thing a young person can do in an emergency.

Calgary 911 answers more than one million emergency and non-emergency calls each year.