Berwyn EMS was dispatched to a medical emergency on January 25, 2015 at 6:01 a.m. in the Chesterbrook section of Tredyffrin Township. This 911 dispatch was similar to many and did not seem out of the ordinary. When the ambulance crew arrived, they came to find out that the caller was actually a young child calling for her mother. This young child was 8 year old Ashley.

According to Chester County DES, "Ashley’s call to 911 was answered by Steve Bacharach, Chester County Department of Emergency Services Telecommunicator. Bacharach kept Ashley on the phone while he entered her information and police and EMS units were dispatched. Using a cell phone, Ashley was ready to answer questions about her location, and when asked by Bacharach, unlocked the front door for the emergency responders. She was calling from a cell phone; her exact location was not provided to the 9-1-1 center. By knowing vital information, like her mom’s personal information and home address, help was able to be sent quickly to her mom."

A little while later, Ashley's mother called the dispatch center to commend the job of the call taker. In doing so, the 911 center decided to commend Ashley. It was decided that Ashely would receive a chester county 911 award at a ceremony at her elementary school.

Berwyn Paramedic Victor Berg, who was the paramedic who responded that morning with partner Steven Craig, joined Chester County DES and Tredyffrin Police officers to celebrate Ashley's award ceremony on May 7th. This is a great example of the importance of teaching children their address and how to call 911 for help. Congratulations Ashley!