By Lisa Mussman
Northwest Kansas Public Affairs Manager
We all know the importance of a properly-installed car seat in keeping children safe. But what happens in a crash when the driver is rendered unconscious and a child is too young or unable to identify themselves or provide helpful information to first responders?
This is where the WHALE program can help.
WHALE stands for “We Have a Little Emergency” and is an
identification program for parents with children in car seats. The idea was
developed by Connie Day, a caregiver from Virginia in the 1990s. Day recognized
that children may not always be traveling with their parents and wondered what
would happen if they could not be identified in the event of a crash.
WHALE was created as a means for emergency responders to
identify these young passengers, as well as provide any special medical needs
and emergency contact information in the event they are not traveling with
their parents.
WHALE identification kits consist of an information sticker and
two WHALE ID stickers. The information sticker should be completed and placed
on the back of the child’s safety seat. The WHALE ID stickers should be placed
on the rear passenger windows to alert first responders to check the car seat
for identification information.
Stickers need to be placed on each vehicle that a child in a car
seat may be riding in and updated each time a car seat is replaced.
In Kansas, WHALE ID kits are available through the Kansas
Traffic Safety Resource Office at no charge by ordering online at https://www.ktsro.org/materials-order-form.
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