Hialeah school receives kits that are meant to help locate missing children
MIAMI - The South Florida Autism Charter School has received a life-saving donation. Thanks to a partnership with the city of Hialeah and the Hialeah Fire Department, the school got 300 scent kits.
The scent kits are meant to help locate missing children in case of an emergency. City officials said they choose the charter school for this partnership to help the most vulnerable populations.
Inside the kit, there is a DNA swab, gloves, and directions on how to use it. The kit will be stored in the freezer and is good to use for up to five years.
"This is just another tool for us to use that will give us a DNA sample plus a current scent. If the parents do it properly, it shouldn't be contaminated, and it will give us something else to work on," said Hialeah Police Chief George Fuente.
Police department K9s will use the scent to help locate the missing child or adult.
"So the premise behind this kit is that it will create an uncontaminated scent article of the person so that the dog does not have to eliminate the other individuals on scene," said Barbara Gonzalez Tamporello with the Hialeah Fire Department.
Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo said the plan is to get more kits for the city to distribute. The next target population, he said, may be seniors.