Insurance agency offers disaster preparedness kit, Amber Alert ready safety forms

March 15-- Mar. 15--Southern Oklahoma experienced its first spring storm Tuesday night. While the damage was minimal, one local insurance agency is offering disaster preparedness kits that will help to prepare for the worst.

Lexi Thompson opened her Allstate Agency on Nov. 1, and office manager Amber Rose said that they want to give back and be a part of the community. The emergency kits are just one example of that goal.

"Basically, we have your basic disaster preparedness items like a bag, a canteen, a poncho, emergency hand wipes, and a flashlight," Rose said. "They're fun little kits for kids to come in and put together."

While the agency is focusing on handing out the bags this week, Rose said people can come in daily until 5:30 p.m. to pick up the kit until supplies run out.

In addition to the disaster preparedness kits, the agency will soon begin another program for the community. Starting this Friday the organization will begin Operation Kidsafe, a free program that will help parents in the event their child goes missing.

Operation Kidsafe generates a private Amber Alert ready safety form with child's information. It will include a photo of the child and their finger prints. Because the form is private, the fingerprints will not be consolidated into any database. However, it could be a useful tool to provide to law enforcement if a child is missing.

"We're very passionate about this," Rose said. "We're all moms so it really hits close to home. It's really imperative that you have your child's fingerprints because then they can be databased if they are kidnapped.

"The computer system doesn't database the finger prints, but prints them out on a card for parents so that they will have them. It really helps deter human trafficking, and if something does happen parents will have more than just a photo to give to the police," Rose said.

The program will officially kick off at 10 a.m. on Friday, and the agency will then offer the free safety forms at their office located at 509 Grand Ave., year round. They also plan on presenting the program at various community events like Taste of Ardmore and Kids Day in the Park.

"No one else in Oklahoma does this right now, and we're really excited to get started," Rose said.

___

(c)2019 The Daily Ardmoreite, Okla.

Visit The Daily Ardmoreite, Okla. at www.ardmoreite.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.