Fact Book • Ages 5–8
🦺 People Who Help Us
Meet the incredible people who work hard every day to keep us safe, healthy and happy!
24/7emergency services work
NHSserves 1.2m people/day
999UK emergency number
6amazing jobs
📚 People Who Help Us
Every day, thousands of people go to work to help us — keeping us safe, teaching us new things, caring for us when we're poorly, and helping us in emergencies. These are some of the most important jobs in our community. Let's find out what they do!
🚒
Firefighter
- Puts out fires in homes, buildings and the countryside
- Rescues people from road accidents, floods and collapsed buildings
- Wears heat-resistant clothing and breathes through special equipment
- A fire engine carries 1,800 litres of water
- Must be very fit and work well in a team
👩⚕️
Doctor / GP
- Diagnoses illnesses and prescribes medicines
- Trains for at least 10 years to qualify
- A GP looks after thousands of patients in their local area
- Uses a stethoscope to listen to the heart and lungs
- Works with nurses, pharmacists and specialists
🚔
Police Officer
- Keeps communities safe and investigates crime
- Responds to emergency calls around the clock
- Carries handcuffs, a radio and sometimes a bodycam
- Some officers work with police dogs
- Attends community events to build trust with local people
🚑
Paramedic
- First on scene in medical emergencies
- Can give medicines and perform CPR and defibrillation
- Arrives within minutes — the 999 target is 8 minutes
- Ambulances carry over 500 pieces of equipment
- Works in teams, often alongside A&E departments
👩🏫
Teacher
- Helps children learn to read, write, count and think
- Plans lessons, marks work and supports each child's needs
- A primary teacher spends around 1,200 hours per year teaching
- Works with parents, teaching assistants and specialist staff
- Helps children develop confidence and social skills
🐾
Vet
- Treats sick and injured animals
- Trains for at least 5 years at veterinary school
- Can treat anything from hamsters to horses
- Gives vaccinations to keep pets healthy
- Some vets work with wildlife or farm animals
✨ Amazing Facts
🏥 The NHS treats over 1.2 million patients every single day across England.
🚒 Firefighters in the UK attend over 500,000 incidents every year — not just fires!
🐕 Police dogs are trained for two years before they begin working with officers.
📚 Teachers spend an average of two hours preparing for each hour of classroom teaching.
🚑 Paramedics can now administer over 100 different medications in an emergency.
💉 A single GP in the UK looks after an average of 2,000 patients.
🤔 People Who Help Us Quiz
Click each answer to check it instantly!
Question 1 of 6
What number do you call in a UK emergency? 🚨
Question 2 of 6
What does a paramedic do? 🚑
- Teaches children at school
- Responds to medical emergencies and provides first aid
- Investigates crimes and makes arrests
- Puts out fires in buildings
Question 3 of 6
How long does a doctor train before they can treat patients? 👩⚕️
- 2 years
- 5 years
- At least 10 years
- You don't need to train
Question 4 of 6
What animal companions do some police officers work with? 🐕
- Horses only
- Cats — they are very quiet
- Police dogs
- Trained falcons
Question 5 of 6
What is a stethoscope used for? 👂
- Taking blood pressure
- Looking inside the ears
- Listening to the heart and lungs
- Checking temperature
Question 6 of 6
Which of these is a job a vet might do? 🐾
- Prescribing medicines for human patients
- Giving vaccinations to keep pets healthy
- Responding to emergency calls from the public
- Teaching children to read and write
📚 Key Words
emergency
A serious, unexpected situation that needs immediate action. Fire, serious illness and crime are all emergencies.
diagnosis
When a doctor identifies what illness or condition a patient has, usually after examining them and asking questions.
paramedic
A trained medical professional who responds to emergencies, giving treatment before and during transport to hospital.
vaccination
A medicine (usually an injection) that teaches the body to fight a particular disease before you catch it.
community
A group of people who live or work in the same area and share resources and services.
stethoscope
A medical instrument with earpieces and a chest piece, used to listen to sounds inside the body.
CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation — a life-saving technique used when someone's heart has stopped, involving chest compressions and rescue breaths.
NHS
The National Health Service — the UK's publicly funded healthcare system, providing free medical treatment to everyone.
📚 More to Explore