After call to 911, a 9-year-old earns Hero Award
Nine-year-old Bailee Lassiter is shown here with the staff of Johnston County 911 Communications.
Bailee Lassiter’s grace under pressure has earned the admiration of Johnston 911 Communications.
On Dec. 15, the 9-year-old received 911’s Hero Award for her response to an emergency.
This past spring, Bailee was FaceTiming with a friend when she heard a big thud. “I went to check it out,” she recalled. “My dad was laying on the floor, and he was unconscious.”
Her FaceTime friend advised her to call 911. “And that’s exactly what I did,” Bailee said.
Senior telecommunicator Lynn Allgood answered Bailee’s 911 call. “To be 9 years old, she knocked it out of the park,” Allgood said. “She called, and she told me everything that was going on.”
Bailee was admittedly scared. “I was wondering if my dad was gonna be OK and, if they had to send him to the hospital, what was going to happen,” she said.
Still, she felt reassured. “I think now I’m safe that I’m on a call with 911,” Bailee said. “I can tell somebody what’s happening, and everything was going to be OK; my dad was going to be OK.”
Allgood knew the pressure Bailee was under. “I just did the best I could to encourage her,” she said.
And Bailee responded. “She went above and beyond,” Allgood said. “She kept her cool.”
Bailee was ready with answers to her questions, including her address, Allgood noted. “That’s the first thing that we ask when we answer the phone — what’s the address of the emergency,” she said. “She was able to tell me, and I was able to verify that based off the technology that we have and was able to verify the phone number. And we took it from there as to what was going on.”
“She was brave,” Allgood added. “One time, I could tell she was starting to get overwhelmed, and I told her, It’s all right. And she went back to being the strong woman that she is.”
And how’s Bailee’s dad now?
“He’s doing fine,” his daughter said.
Need to call 911?
Here’s what to do in an emergency, according to Johnston 911 Communications:
- Call 9-1-1 immediately in the event of an emergency because seconds count. In Johnston County, a trained telecommunicator will always answer the call.
- Know the address of the emergency. That’s the first piece of information the telecommunicator will gather. The telephone number you’re calling from will be next. That’s in case you’re disconnected.
- The telecommunicator will then ask a series of questions designed to determine what type of emergency response is appropriate. More often than not, another telecommunicator will be dispatching the help needed while the call-taker is gathering information. This process avoids any delays in response.
- The telecommunicator will also give you instructions to carry out before help arrives. The instructions can vary from not disturbing the scene of a crime to providing lifesaving CPR.
- If you dial 9-1-1 accidentally, that’s OK, but don’t hang up. Stay on the line and wait for the call to be answered, then simply explain the situation. With modern technology, once you dial 9-1-1, the communications center is notified. So you don't want those folks thinking there's an emergency when there isn't one.
Page last updated on: January 14, 2026