MASONS, FIREFIGHTERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT COME TOGETHER TO EMPHASIZE IMPORTANCE OF CHILD IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM
FROM: GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS,
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
FIREMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
CONTACT: Sid Dinsay / Casey Cipriani
Dan Klores Communications
(212) 981-5166 / (212) 981-5246
***REQUEST FOR COVERAGE***
MASONS, FIREFIGHTERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT COME TOGETHER TO EMPHASIZE IMPORTANCE OF CHILD IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM
Masons Will Be Performing Child ID Program During Erie County Fair
The Grand Lodge of New York Free and Accepted Masons, along with the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, will join Erie County firefighters, police officers, sheriffs and correction officers for a press conference this afternoon emphasizing the importance of the Masons’ Child Identification Program (CHIP).
The New York Masons perform CHIP at the Fair every year, and last year enrolled more than 2,000 kids over the course of the Fair. Each year, Masons across the state perform Child ID on about 30,000 children and more than 300,000 kids have gone through the program since its inception in the 1990’s.
CHIP events are held state-wide and provide parents with a CD containing the child’s photo, fingerprints and other vital information (height, weight, eye/hair color etc.), along with a printable photo ID card. Parents can then provide this CD to law enforcement officials should their child ever go missing – a critical resource that can be used as part of a subsequent investigation and recovery effort.
“There are more than 20,000 missing child cases in New York,” said Masonic CHIP State Chairman Don Elliott. “That is a staggering number. CHIP is just another tool to help recover kids who go missing, either kidnap victims or runaways. And working with FASNY on the FASNY/CHIP program will mean that we can help protect even more of our children than we’ve done before.”
In 2007, the Masons entered into a partnership with the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) to work together on joint community service programs, especially those that emphasize public safety. One of the results of this partnership is the FASNY-CHIP campaign, which brings Masons together with local firefighters to make the Child ID service readily available at local fire department events such as Fire Prevention days, fire department open houses and firemen’s festivals and carnivals. In its first year, the new FASNY-CHIP campaign increased the number of children undergoing Masonic Child ID by almost 5%.
“When the idea was first presented, we thought to ourselves, ‘This makes a lot of sense,’” said Williamsville resident Michael Wutz, FASNY’s president. “Our organization represents fire departments all over the state, volunteers who put the safety of homeowners above all. The Masons are a very community-oriented, civic-minded group, with lodges in most major towns. Their CHIP program was a natural fit for both our groups, helping to bring peace of mind to parents everywhere. We’re proud to be working with the Masons on this.”
The FASNY/CHIP website, www.fasnychip.org, has more information on how local fire departments can set up their very own child ID events. There’s also a FASNY/CHIP hotline at (877) 327-6924. These events require minimal setup – usually tables and a power supply – and can thus be taken “on the road” during fire department visits to schools, fundraisers, regional conventions and other community events.
About the Masons
Masons (also known as Freemasons) belong to the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world. Today, there are approximately 1.7 million Freemasons in North America, with about 54,000 Masons in New York State. Many of North America’s early patriots were Freemasons. Thirteen signers of the Constitution, fourteen Presidents of the United States – including George Washington – and nineteen Governors of the State of New York were Masons.
The Masons are widely known for their community service and philanthropic works. Each day, Masons across the United States donate more than $2 million to charitable causes. Here in New York, the Masons began the New York Masonic Child ID Program (CHIP); they also own and operate the Masonic Care Community in Utica, which is also home to the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory.
The New York Grand Lodge Headquarters, also known as Masonic Hall, is located in New York City. For further information on the New York Masons, call toll-free, (800) 3-MASON-4 (362-7664) or visit www.nymasons.org.
About FASNY
Founded in 1872, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) represents the interests of the more than 100,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in New York State. For more information, visit www.fasny.com.
