Twin City Ambulance is proud to be a regional sponsor of the

WHALE Child Safety Seat Occupant Identification Program

While driving to the store with her infant daughter, a young mother lost control of her car and crashed into a tree. The mother was knocked unconscious, while the child appeared to be uninjured. Due to her injuries, the mother could not identify herself or her child. She was also unable to provide vital medical information about her daughter. The child, because of her age, was unable to communicate with rescue personnel. While both victims received the best care possible, the emergency services personnel felt their rescue and treatment could have been more effective and efficient   ... if they only knew the child's name and pertinent emergency information.

In 1994, 5141 children age four and under were injured in automobile accidents in New York State. 17 of those children died. Some of those children were not riding in the same vehicles as their parents or guardians. Today, children may ride with a baby-sitter, grandparents, or other caregivers. In the event of a motor vehicle accident that incapacitates parents or other adult passengers, emergency service personnel have no source of information to identify the child or his/her special medical needs. Also, efforts to identify and contact the child's next of kin may be significantly delayed. In some cases, rescue efforts may proceed more smoothly and efficiently if emergency personnel know the name of the frightened child they are treating. This is where the WHALE (We Have A Little Emergency) program can make a difference.

What is the W H A L E Program?

The WHALE Program is an identification and information package for child car safety seats created by Connie Day, a caregiver from Richmond, VA, who wondered what would happen to the children in her care in the event of an automobile accident. The first program of its kind in the United States, WHALE is currently used in 32 states. It requires the use of four self-adhesive stickers and one Informational label:

The Informational label is attached to the rear of the car seat and provides important information about the child in the seat, such as name, date of birth, medical history, and who to contact in case of an emergency. A photo of the child is placed in the space provided, and updated as the child grows. If placed on the back of the seat, this label and photo will not be visible from the outside of the vehicle, thus ensuring the privacy of personal information.

Two WHALE Car Seat Stickers, attached to the sides of the safety seat, and two WHALE vehicle Stickers, attached to the rear side windows of the vehicle, depict the WHALE logo and alert rescuers that the vehicle occupants participate in the program.

Twin City Ambulance has sent out over 250 WHALE packets per month since introducing the program in Western New York in 1998. Also, Twin City Ambulance has distributed hundreds of WHALE Packets all over North America and has helped to expand the program to other regions of the US.