Nassau County Legislator Vincent Muscarella (R-West Hempstead) is offering to residents free of charge a child safety seat identification kit for families who have children that utilize child safety seats in their motor vehicles.

In the event of a motor vehicle accident that incapacitates parents or other adult passengers, emergency service providers 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. This is where the WHALE program can make a difference.

The WHALE (We Have A Little Emergency) program provides rescue workers at the scene of an accident with vital information including the child's name, special medical needs, or the child's next of kin and emergency contact phone numbers. The program utilizes the use of four self-adhesive stickers and one informational label. The information label, attached to the rear of the car safety seat, provides important information about the child in the seat, including date of birth, medical history, and who to contact in the case of an emergency. The WHALE program is funded through DWI fines and offered at no-cost to residents.

Residents wishing to receive a WHALE kit for their use are encouraged to call Muscarella's office at 571-6208 or by writing to Legislator Muscarella at: 1 West Street, Mineola, NY 11501.