New Arizona program provides free car seat stickers with vital child info for first responders, helping save crucial minutes during emergencies.

As families across Arizona pack their cars for holiday adventures, the Arizona Department of Health Services is rolling out a simple yet powerful tool to protect our youngest travelers. The Arizona Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program has launched a free initiative that could save precious minutes—and lives—during roadside emergencies: vital information stickers designed specifically for car seats.

The need for action

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of preventable deaths among Arizona’s children, with 81 fatalities recorded in 2023 according to the state’s Child Fatality Review Program Report. This concerning statistic has prompted officials to take action with an innovative safety measure.

Photo courtesy of North Dakota/Flickr.

How EPIC stickers work

“Every second counts when responding to an emergency,” explains Rachel Zenuk Garcia, Bureau Chief for the ADHS Bureau of EMS and Trauma System. “By adding the Emergency Pediatric Information Card (EPIC) Car Seat Stickers to a child’s car seats, parents can provide first responders with essential details about their child, which can make all the difference in an emergency.”

Design and implementation

The EPIC stickers are designed to be affixed securely to the side of the car seat facing the door, making them the first thing an EMS responder sees when triaging a child. The stickers include space for important details such as the child’s name, date of birth, emergency contact numbers, and any relevant medical conditions or allergies. During busy accident scenes, this information allows first responders to quickly identify which patients require the most urgent care, helping them prioritize treatments and allocate resources for the best possible outcome.

How to obtain stickers

Arizona families can obtain these free stickers through various distribution points including local hospitals, fire-rescue agencies, EMS agencies, and state law enforcement offices. For more information about obtaining stickers or participating in the distribution program, families can visit the EMS for Children website.

This story was generated in part by AI and edited by The Copper Courier staff.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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