While we were out at the Robbinsdale Fire & Police open house yesterday, we saw a Sheriff doing free DNA swabs for the kids.
I was totally intrigued and asked the Sheriff about it. He said that they were doing it so that parents could have a known sample of DNA of their children in case the worst ever happens and they need it for the police during a crime investigation.
As much as I hate to think of that ever happening, it makes sense. So I asked if he could take a sample for Levi. It was a super simple process – the Sheriff quickly prepped by putting on gloves and opening his sealed swabs.
Levi was a champ and opened up so he could get a good sample from inside his cheek.
The swab was put into a holder, which went into an envelope with Levi’s name and date of birth. The envelope was sealed, and we were able to bring it home with us right away.
One of the things the Sheriff mentioned was to keep it stored in a cool, dry place. He also said we should NOT put it in a Ziploc bag or anything airtight, because that could cause the sample to mold or degrade. We put it in our safe when we got home.
I have to say, I was really impressed with the rest of the event, too. Besides having fire trucks and ambulances for the kids to check out, they also had cotton candy, popcorn, balloons, and several city organizations had tables set up to learn more about them.
They even had a giant inflatable fire truck slide for the kids to play on.
I think Robbinsdale has the best police cars, so it was fun to be able to look inside and check one out. Especially since I was sitting in the back seat by choice for a change 
(Just kidding. Kinda.)
Jason was excited to see the S.W.A.T. team there with some of their weapons on display. Of course, he didn’t realize I was snapping a photo, lol.
We ended our trip by grabbing a neighborhood crime prevention sign to put up in our yard.
Thanks Robbinsdale Fire and Police staff for all that you do!
Looks like a wonderful community event. We have something similar here but I didn’t get to sit in a police car! I did get to sit in the back of a tank though – that was pretty cool! It’s never crossed my mind to get a DNA swab – but I can see why it would be important – scary thought though.
That looks like it was a great time. Now I know what a DNA swab is if I see a booth sometime, thanks for the information.
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Great information! I think having a DNA swab is great, it should be done in all towns, especially the way things are now.
Wow what a great event and good idea (for the lack of words) about the DNA sample. I mean of course no one wants to even think about the worse things happening, especially to their children, but to be prepared is something you’ll never regret doing. Thanks for a great post.
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I wish they did things like this near me
As eerie as it is to think about what the DNA swab is for, it is still a good idea to do. And what a great community outreach!
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I think that this is a very good thing to do by getting a child’s DNA so that in case anything happens, it will be on file! I think that it was so nice that they made it a good experience for the kids! Looks like Levi had a great time!
I’ve never done this for my kids but its a great idea!
I remember when I was the young the police would come in to take finger prints. I had no idea they did DNA samples now. Very cool!
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This looks like it was both fun and a worthwhile event. Our fire department has had similar events.
That looks like an all-around awesome event. I’d love to see something like that around here!
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That’s a really smart idea! My parents had a fingerprinting kit for us when we were younger, but never did DNA. You’d certainly hope to never need it, but it would be a relief to be more prepared in case anything did happen.
This is a great ideal. To take a swab of your child cheek to get their DNA is awesome.
I know it is for good reasons but it just makes me shiver…I have always said that the worst thing that could ever happen to a person is to lose their child(ren).I am always amazed when I meet people that have lost children and they are able to function. I am sure it would do me in. Let anything happen to me, I’ll take it but not my children. I don’t think I could recover from it and it is my greatest fear. That being said, if the DNA swabbing was offered to me, I would probably do it, but just the mere thought brings on anxiety. My anxiety aside, it looks like you live in a wonderful, caring community which is awesome!
What a great idea! I support this DNA sampling 100 percent., When my children were little, the school had an identification program, which consisted of their picture, description and fingerprints. The DNA sampling takes this one step further. One can never be to safe when it comes to the protection of their children. In my humble opinion, the worst fear a parent can fathom, if their child is taken, is not knowing whether their child is alive or has died. The DNA sampling would be able to confirm identity and might bring some closure to those parents who have had children pass away.