Lynnfield FD to sell AMBER USB drives

LYNNFIELD – Fire Captain Michael Feinberg announced earlier this week that the department is now providing residents with a way to prepare for “the unthinkable.”In an effort to combat the growing number of missing children in the U.S., the Lynnfield Fire Department recently purchased several AMBER stick Portable Child Identification Devices.The USB Flash Drive, which regularly costs $49.95, will be sold to residents for just $25. It is the only one of its kind endorsed by Code Amber, the nation’s first Web-based ticker for AMBER Alerts. With its built-in software, the small device allows parents to upload and access important information about their loved ones, should they go missing.”Should the unthinkable happen, and should someone disappear, just plug it into any computer and upload it (to the national data center) for an AMBER Alert broadcast,” said Feinberg. “It has all the information in one place should the need arise.”The password protected and data encrypted device has an almost endless amount of space, making it easy to hold the important information of an entire family. Users simply plug the device into their computer (Windows-based only) and the software automatically opens to where you can enter an individuals’ name, age, height, weight, hair color, eye color, etc. The device also allows users to upload three recent photos per individual, medical information, and emergency contacts.Feinberg admits to testing out the new software himself.”It’s very simple and easy to use, depending on how many children and family members you have,” he said. “It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour (to use).”Once the information is loaded onto the flash drive, and should someone go missing, users can instantly create a missing person poster, create a file for law enforcement agencies, and upload the missing person’s information onto the central server.Feinberg said he first heard of the software being used elsewhere and approached Police and Fire Chief Paul Romano about possibly bringing it to Lynnfield.”He thought it would be a good idea and good for the town,” said Feinberg. “The benefit (of the device) is obviously that if the unthinkable were to happen, you don’t need to think about it. It would be that much faster for an AMBER Alert to be broadcast.”Feinberg said he hopes residents won’t ever have to actually use the device.”We have a limited quantity here,” he said. “We’ll see the response we get. As long as people want them, we’ll keep getting them.”For more information about the stick and how it works, log on to www.amberstick.com. To order an AMBER stick for you and your family, contact Feinberg at the Lynnfield Fire Department, 781-334-5152.