General Motors' OnStar Subsidiary Observes National Missing Children's Day
24 Mai 2004 - 8:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
General Motors' OnStar Subsidiary Observes National Missing
Children's Day OnStar encourages subscribers to join efforts in
bringing missing children home TROY, Mich., May 24 /PRNewswire/ --
General Motors' subsidiary OnStar is collaborating with the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in
observing May 25 as National Missing Children's Day. This day
serves as a reminder to make child protection a top priority and
acknowledges the tireless efforts of those committed to bringing
missing children home. The observance is also a reminder to OnStar
subscribers that they can help in this effort. The OnStar-NCMEC
collaboration enables OnStar subscribers to help bring missing
children home safely. Subscribers may press the red OnStar
emergency button in their vehicle to report information regarding
an AMBER Alert or a lost child. The subscriber will be connected
with an OnStar emergency services advisor who will expedite the
call to a 911 dispatcher. OnStar's 2.5 million subscribers create
the nation's largest and most technologically advanced fleet of
good Samaritans. Each month, OnStar receives about 3,000 good
Samaritan calls ranging from medical emergencies to crashes
involving other motorists. These good Samaritan calls by
subscribers can also include information related to AMBER Alerts
and missing children. "It is important to keep in mind that just
one lead can result in finding a child," said OnStar President Chet
Huber. "The ability to quickly share critical information with
public safety officials can be the difference between a child found
and a tragedy. Our goal is simply to assist whenever possible, and
with the help of our subscribers, in bringing another child home
safely." National Missing Children's Day was established in honor
of six-year-old Etan Patz, who disappeared on May 25, 1979, while
on the way to school in New York City. Patz's disappearance
attracted widespread attention, but the case remains unsolved. In
1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 National Missing
Children's Day as a day of remembrance for Patz. Parents should
keep a recent high-quality photograph of their children for use in
case of an emergency. It serves as a reminder for everyone to pay
close attention to pictures posted of missing children. According
to NCMEC, one in six children have been recovered as a direct
result of someone recognizing a child in the NCMEC
photo-distribution program and contacting authorities. More
information on AMBER Alerts can be found on the Office of Justice
Programs' home page, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ . The site also
features up-to-date information and publications about keeping
children safe and preventing abductions, a list of state AMBER
Alert contacts, resources for making AMBER programs work
effectively and training opportunities. Nearly 800,000 children are
reported missing each year, for a variety of reasons: some children
run away, others may become lost or injured, and still others are
abducted, according to the Office of Justice Programs. Most child
abductions -- more than 200,000 annually -- are committed by family
members, who are seeking to interfere with a parent's custodial
rights. Of the non- family abductions, totaling 58,200 annually in
the United States, nearly all (98%) of these children are returned
to their families safely. Only a small percentage are those every
parent most dreads: those considered "stereotypical kidnappings,"
in which the child is kept overnight, held for ransom, or killed.
However, in these cases in particular, the first few hours after
the abduction are critical. The best way to keep children safe is
to be proactive and talk openly with them about personal safety
issues. Here are some tips for parents while talking with children:
-- Make sure your children understand they should never go anywhere
or accept anything without checking with a parent or trusted adult
first. -- Let your children know it is okay to say "no" if they are
touched or treated in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable or
scared. -- Monitor your children's Internet use. Set guidelines for
when they can be online, length of time spent online, and areas
suitable for them to visit. -- People unknown to the child are not
the only source of danger. More often it is someone the child
knows. The OnStar-NCMEC collaboration marks the first time an
in-vehicle safety communications system using Global Positioning
System satellite network and wireless technologies, and private
citizens have teamed up to help NCMEC locate missing children. As
OnStar observes National Missing Children's Day it encourages all
subscribers to use the OnStar system if they have information that
might help bring a missing child home safely. OnStar, available on
more than 50 models from General Motors and select models from six
other auto manufacturers, is the nation's leading provider of
in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar
services include automatic notification of air bag deployment,
stolen vehicle location assistance, emergency services, roadside
assistance with location, remote door unlock, GM Goodwrench remote
vehicle diagnostics, route support, and convenience services.
OnStar Personal calling allows drivers to make and receive
hands-free, voice-activated phone calls through a nationwide
cellular network and access a wide range of other information
services. (Additional information is available at
http://www.onstar.com/ .) DATASOURCE: OnStar CONTACT: Robert Herta
of OnStar, +1-248-588-3250, ; or Lisa Cullen of NCMEC,
+1-703-837-6111, Web site: http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ http://www.onstar.com/
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