Fortunately, there hasn't been a child-abduction case reported in Sunnyvale in the past five years, according to Anna DeBattista, senior office assistant in the statistics unit of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. However, that doesn't mean it can't happen again at any time. Fortunately, there are opportunities available locally for parents and children to learn techniques and skills that may prevent an abduction from happening.

Richard Fisher, funeral director and licensed embalmer at the Lima Family Mortuary in Sunnyvale, is a trainer at the Service Corporation International Escape School, teaching parents and children how to potentially avoid being victims of kidnappers.

"What the child can do within the first minutes of the abduction can be crucial," Fisher says. "It's important that children try their best to take control of the situation."

During the first few minutes of the abduction, the child is understandably very scared, Fisher says, but that puts the abductor in control. When scared, a child is predictable, which is what the bad guy is counting on, he says. With a scared and predictable child under his control, the abductor can successfully go through his plan step by step.

In his safety training class, Fisher teaches parents to train their children to be smart, not scared. By acting smart, children affect the outcome of the situation by taking control of the bad guy. Screaming loudly to attract attention or running in the opposite direction of the approaching abductor can afford the child the opportunity to make a getaway.

Fisher adds that parents need to give their children permission to do whatever it takes to be safe.

"When in danger, all rules change," Fisher says.

Bob Stuber, a retired police officer from San Pablo, started the Escape School program nine years ago. Stuber is the friend of the father of still-missing child Amber Schwartz. Six years ago Service Corporation International (SCI) became a corporate partner, assisting Stuber in training and teaching the Escape School programs. Across the country funeral homes affiliated with the group are sponsoring the program in their local areas.

"We don't charge anything for the classes," Fisher says. "Since we work with other funeral homes, together we're able to cover the costs."

"The class is very informative," says Kathleen Pizzo of San Jose, the mother of three children, ages 17, 15 and 11. "I attended the class some time ago, but my 11-year-old daughter remembers a lot of the information."

Pizzo said she asks her children all the time about the class' safety techniques and makes sure she knows where her children are at all times.

The one-hour Escape School safety training class is based on three principles—"Parents are the real teachers," "No stranger danger" and "Be smart, not scared."

Even though teachers, friends and family members are all important in a child's upbringing, it's up to parents to drill their children repeatedly on personal safety issues, Fisher says. Parents, being most familiar with their children's lives, should instill awareness, not fear, he adds. A child can be empowered with information and skills if taught simply, yet creatively.

Escape School does not teach that all strangers are dangerous, Fisher says, because in many cases, it's a stranger that helps a child out of a dangerous situation. For example, when 7-year-old Erica Pratt was abducted in Pennsylvania last month, she screamed from the basement where she was kept gagged and bound, and, with the help of strangers, managed to get away and return home safely.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, stranger abductions comprise the smallest percentage of cases each year. In 1999, out of the 203,900 children abducted, only 115 were taken by total strangers, the center reports.

According to Fisher, in most stranger abductions, the kidnapper approaches in a friendly manner, and the child responds in kind. However, the child's trust often leads to the abduction. Fisher points out that in the case of young Samantha Runnion, who was kidnapped from outside her home in southern California, the stranger approached her in a harmless manner, saying he was looking for a lost puppy. When she moved closer to help, he was able to drag her away. Her lifeless body was found the next day in a wooded area.

"It's not the stranger himself but his actions that children should be trained to focus on," Fisher says.

Parents should train their children to assess the appropriateness of the adult's actions, he says. Children should be aware that an adult would not normally approach a child about a missing pet.

The father of an 18-year-old daughter, Fisher points out that most often the abducted children are girls. However, he cautions parents that, just as abductors can be male or female or a couple working together, their victims can be boys as well as girls.

Fisher teaches children several techniques to use if approached by a potential abductor. In the "Velcro" technique, a child runs to a stranger and attaches herself like Velcro, pleading for help and refusing to let go until the stranger agrees to help. In the "windmill" technique, when the abductor grabs a child by the arm, the child moves her arm like a windmill, opposite to the direction of the abductor's thumb. This can loosen his grip, giving her the chance to get away. If the child is on a bike when approached, she can push the bike toward the abductor and run away.

If the abductor manages to get the child inside a car, there are several things the child can do to disable the car. Stuffing a button or gum into the ignition hole so the key does not go in, reaching under the steering wheel and pulling out the wires or jumping on the driver's lap and sounding the horn loudly are a few of the techniques Fisher teaches. If inside the trunk of the car, the child can pull on the safety latch to open it or kick out the taillights.

Fisher cited the example of young Missy Sanchez, who was kidnapped from Vallejo a few years ago. Two days after her kidnapping and several hundred miles away from home, she managed to grab the keys from the ignition, throw them out and flag down a passing truck. In the end, Missy returned home to her family safely.

Fisher started teaching these safety techniques to groups in churches, schools and neighborhood associations after undergoing intensive training three years ago. Fisher admits that the demand for his safety class has doubled this year. He is the only Escape School trainer in the Bay Area, and is one of just 120 trainers in the United States and Canada.

A licensed mortician since 1969, Fisher also holds a law degree. However, Fisher's current passion is informing and educating parents about the best ways to keep their children safe. If Fisher had his way, all parents would take the step of training their children—boys and girls, of all ages—to be aware of and vigilant about their surroundings.

There are several techniques and success stories listed and explained in Escape School's books and videos, which can be purchased through Fisher or the school's website, www.escapeschool.com. SCI has also developed programs for school violence, senior safety and Internet safety. For information on how to register for a free Escape School class or purchase books or videos, call Richard Fisher at 408.736.3491.