Call Kurtis: FBI's New App To Prepare For The Unexpected
It's something parents never want to think about — their child disappearing. Kurtis Ming explains how the FBI is using technology to prepare you for the unexpected.
Unfortunately, we've covered far too many child disappearances. When it happens, parents may not quite know what to do. The FBI wants every parent to be ready and now you will be, with the FBI's new app.
As holiday shoppers pack the malls with kids in tow, no parent wants to think about their child disappearing.
"It would be really scary, even the thought of it, no, too much to think about that," says Karina Cruz, mother of three.
According to the National Center For Missing And Exploited Children, a child disappears every 40 seconds. To prepare parents for the unexpected, the FBI has come out with an app called the FBI Child ID.
"The first thing that happens when you have a child that's missing, there's an element of panic. You're not quite sure what to do," says Gina Swankie, public affairs specialist with the FBI's Sacramento Field Office.
With this free app, you enter your child's profile — photo, height, weight, birthmarks and so on. The information is password-protected. Should anything happen, you enter your password and can instantly email law enforcement so they can start looking.
"You're not guessing about certain things ... about well, my child may be about this high, maybe they weigh about that. Also, when you're stressed, you're going to forget about details," says Swankie.
That just slows down the process when every second counts finding your missing child.
The app tells you what to do during the first 24 to 48 hours after your child disappears, safety tips and links to sites like the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children.
It's a new resource giving parents an extra advantage if the unthinkable happens.
"You can never be too careful, something like that would give you a little bit more peace of mind I think," says Mark De Victoria, a father of two.
"I do, I would be interested, I'd check it out," says Cate Leppert.
The FBI says you should update your children's photos often. If you have an infant or younger child, you'll want to do that more frequently.
Again, it's already out there for iPhone users.
The FBI tells us the Droid version will be out in either January or February.
