The Child Identification Program gives you everything the police would need if your child were to go missing.
Imagine the last time you learned of an Ambert Alert in your area. Did you think about how scared the family might be or about the child alone and afraid? If you were traveling, maybe you started to keep an eye open for vehicles matching the Amber Alert's description. At any point, did you say to yourself, "I don't know what I'd do if that were me"?
It's a natural feeling to want to help when a child in need or put yourself in that situation only to discover how unprepared you are.
On average over the last 20 years, about 55 children in Ontario are reported missing to police every day. That’s over 20,000 missing children.
Of the 55 children reported missing today, between 5 and 6 of those chilren will still be missing a year from now.
The MASONICh.I.P Program is offered by the Masons of Ontario at no cost to the parents or guardian and provides a way to collect pertinent information such as an emergency contact name, address and phone numbers, distinguishing marks and scars, allergies, medications and the child’s height and weight.
That information is packaged into a kit that is given to the parents with the sentiment: “We hope you will never need to use it.”
After each child is processed, the data is completely deleted and erased from the computer. The only item retained by MASONICh.I.P. Ontario is the signed permission slip.
When a child goes missing the parent or guardian takes the information to their local police agency and, within forty-two seconds after the police load the information into their system, an Amber Alert can be broadcast.
This program is brought exclusively to Ontario families by Masons, free of charge.
In 1991, R.W. Kenneth Wagner felt that same feeling of helplessness as he was watching America's Most Wanted. At the end of the episode, the host of the show, John Walsh, mentioned the value of Parents having a videotape of their children for identification purposes. The tape would get used in case their child went missing.
Inspiration struck R.W. Wagner, and he brought an idea to Grand Master Richard Thomas of the Queens District in New York. The idea was simple - conduct videotape sessions for Parents so that they would have the ideal form of identification for Police. A pilot program was set up and resulted in overwhelming public support. The Mason's Child Identification Program was born.
By 1992 the program was expanded, and in addition to the videotape sessions, more information about the child would get collected. Over the following years, the program would continue to get tweaked and improved to provide Parents a detailed kit that would help Police find a missing child faster.
1n 2007 the Grand Master, Mr. Allan Petrisor, asked Mr. Ray Dobbs to evaluate the Masonic Child Identification Programs in the U.S. and report back on it’s value.
Mr. Dobbs’ unique perspective as a law enforcement professional, an active community supporter and a longstanding Freemason allowed him to determine that this was the only comprehensive program he had seen that would be immediately useful to law enforcement personnel and would be a good fit as community outreach for the Fraternity.
Initially only 11 EZ Child Idenitification Units were purchased with Ray Dobbs conducting all of the training for the clinics. During the 2007 Corn Fest, in Jarvis Ontario, the first clinic was held.
Today there are 60 units strategically placed to support clinics that occur throughout the year. Proudly, all 41 Masonic Districts in Ontario have participated in the program to help provide families with the peace of mind that Kenneth Wagner and Ray Dobbs hoped to provide.