Free CD holds child’s emergency information - DE
Free CD holds child’s emergency information By TERRI SANGINITI, The News Journal Posted Sunday, December 3, 2006 at 9:06 pm Every day, more than 2,000 children across the country are reported missing. To help out in such cases, Delaware State Police are now offering parents a wallet-size CD identification card containing their child’s personal information for quick access in an emergency. The CD would provide police and emergency officials information that could speed up recovery, or in the case of a medical emergency, treatment. “We’re the first state agency in the country to get involved in using this digital technology for the safety of children,” state police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh said. Whitmarsh said Bank of America provided the funding for the Safe Kids Card Child Identification Program. The money paid for two laptop computers, two fingerprint scanners, two digital cameras, two printers and 3,000 MyFamilyCD kits. Each of the systems costs between $2,000 and $3,000, said Jennifer Hawkins, MyFamilyCD law enforcement program coordinator. The cost of the kits ranges between $5 and $8. “This program provides a vital tool for effective communication between the parents and law enforcement officials,” she said. “In a crisis, you don’t always think clearly, and this CD allows police to disseminate accurate information and get to the business of recovery.” The process is easy. It takes about 10 minutes, said Cpl. Michelle Foraker, one of two troopers trained to use the state-of-the-art equipment. The child’s photograph is taken digitally, then along with a full set of fingerprints – or both thumbs and both index fingers – it’s scanned into the computer and downloaded. Afterward, a small wallet-size disc is inserted into the computer so the personal information can be burned onto it. Afterward, it cannot be altered, Foraker said. “The disc is given to the parent,” she said. “We don’t keep any of the information.” The CD is an efficient way to store the information, Foraker said, and it’s free. “We used to just do the child’s fingerprints and the parent filled in all the information and attached a school picture,” she said. “This is much better. Plus, it’s inkless.” Foraker said parents also have the option of taking the MyFamilyCD kit home and completing it themselves. They wouldn’t be able to scan the fingerprints in digitally, but an ink fingerprint strip is provided in the kit. It even contains a mouth-size wafer for parents to take a child’s dental impression, Foraker said. “This system gives families an additional peace of mind when protecting their children,” said Earle Markey, who heads the Team Bank of America volunteer organization in Newark that partnered with the state police. “It’s so simple that parents can easily complete the child’s information any time at home.” Hawkins said the program has been customized specifically to meet the needs of law enforcement when a child is missing. But the Wyoming-based company that offers Safe Kids generally caters to schools and day-care centers, and it can customize the kits to incorporate anything from medical conditions to custody situations to grandparents’ addresses and phone numbers, Hawkins said. If purchased directly from the company, the Safe Kids CD card retails for about $15. Whitmarsh said the digital child ID kits will be available at various events throughout the state while supplies last. Contact Terri Sanginiti at 324-2771 or tsanginiti@delawareonline.com. http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061203/NEWS/61203015