When Elijah Casiano, 5, wasn’t pacing inside his Fort Wayne home Thursday morning, he was peeking out the window, searching for the tactical rescue vehicle that would escort him and his family for a hero’s celebration downtown.
Weeks earlier, Elijah calmly called 911 when his mother, who has epilepsy, suffered a seizure and lost consciousness.
Officials at Rousseau Centre said the boy likely saved her life.
A man portraying the superhero Captain America greeted Elijah on Thursday, moments after the Casiano family stepped off the elevator into a hallway near the 911 call center.
“We need more people like you – heroes,” Captain America said. “You’re the real hero.”
David Bubb, executive director of the Consolidated Communications Partnership, made sure Elijah looked like a hero, too. He tied a cape around the boy’s shoulders.
Dispatchers annually answer a half-million calls for help, Bubb said, and while each call is distinct, one sometimes stands out as special.
“We found one of those,” Bubb said, describing Elijah’s Jan. 27 actions to an audience that included Fort Wayne Police Chief Steve Reed, Fort Wayne Fire Chief Eric Lahey and Allen County Sheriff David Gladieux.
“Elijah was calm,” Bubb said. “He answered every question with clear and accurate information. He even provided us information we didn’t ask for that was still valuable.”
The recording of the 911 call starts with Elijah telling his mother he dialed 911. He then tells dispatcher Janet Ritter his name, that he’s a kid, his father isn’t home and his mom shakes.
His 4-year-old brother, Kalvyn, can be heard in the background, apparently trying to get his attention, and Elijah explains to him that he called for help before answering more of Ritter’s questions.
“She’s sleeping and she’s not waking up,” Elijah tells Ritter, who later asked whether any other adults were home. “It’s only Kalvyn, me and Mom. That’s why I phoned 911.”
Elijah’s parents, Kirstin and Alex Casiano, said they’ve prepared him for such a moment, drilling their address and phone number into his memory. Alex Casiano has also taught Elijah to remain calm and assess the situation instead of panicking.
“I get real uneasy when I’m at work,” Alex Casiano said, adding it’s important that Elijah can “fill my shoes when I’m not there.”
Along with calling 911, Elijah calmed his brother and knew to use the magnet for his mother’s vagus nerve stimulator, which is implanted in her chest, Alex Casiano said.
Alex Casiano wiped his eyes Thursday as Elijah and Ritter met in the hallway decorated with star-shaped balloons. She led the Casiano family on a tour of the 911 call center, where multiple dispatchers congratulated the boy’s actions.
Ritter said she was glad to meet Elijah. Usually, she said, dispatchers don’t know what happens to the people they talk to.
“He did an amazing job,” Ritter said. “He deserves this.”
As Elijah and his family feasted on thick slices of cake, police Sgt. Kerry Haywood waited nearby to drive them back to their south-side home, if needed. He said Elijah had a blast riding in the BearCat tactical vehicle earlier.
Bubb said Elijah is welcome to return when he turns 18.
“I got a job for you,” he said.
asloboda@jg.net