It's a classic story, one you've no doubt seen on "Cold Case Files" or "CSI Wherever."

It goes something like this: A person returns from "out of the blue," doesn't know who he is or who his family members are.

A DNA sample is obtained from the man and run through a national database. Inasmuch as no two DNA samples are alike, save for identical twins, a match is found. Why, he's little Jimmy Doe, who disappeared from a family picnic long ago. His parents thought he was dead; he'd been kidnapped, on and on.

However, had a DNA sample not been available in the database, this amnesiac would still be wondering who he is.

On Saturday, your youngsters can have their DNA saved, albeit not to a national database, but that possibility remains if something horrible were to happen.

The Sandoval County Sheriff's Department is making child identification and DNA kits available free from Fingerprint America.

Deputies and volunteers will be at Wal-Mart in Rio Rancho on Saturday to provide this service for concerned parents.

Here's how it works.

The ID kits - SCSO bought 16,000 of them - are in a small, plastic bag, which also contains an instruction sheet so parents can take care of everything that's needed to complete their childs' kits.

The child's name goes on the outside; inside are room for a photograph, which can be regularly updated, a space to write down medical and personal information, a small patch where the DNA sample can be placed, then sealed to protect against contamination, plus a section for all 10 of the child's fingerprints.

There is a small inkstrip so parents may do their own fingerprinting of their tykes; the DNA sample is easily obtained with a sterile, cotton swab on a stick, which is then swirled inside the child's mouth and patted onto the "specimen sample area" inside the kit.

Additionally, there is a space provided for dental information.

Once everything's been filled out, the kit is returned to the plastic bag and stored by the parents in a safe place at room temperature within the home.

That's right: within the home.

"It'll last decades at room temperature," Lt. Dean Alexander said, also wanting to alleviate the paranoia of any parents who could be thinking personal information is being made available to the SCSO.

"This kind of solves everything for us," he said, referring to previous child ID events that involved a photo and fingerprints only. "It's very fast, very efficient and does exactly what we want.

"They don't have to wait in line, wait for us to input it on the computer, and it's positive ID through their fingerprints or the DNA," he said, and the parents hang on to the kits until, God forbid, they're needed for an identification.

"It's their choice," he added. "We would hope parents would want some type of ID for their child."

You can't beat the price; Alexander said each kit costs about $1.72, and that a grant through a local citizens group made the kits available free of charge.

In addition to the all-day kit distribution at Wal-Mart on Saturday - it'll be "Meet Your Emergency Providers Day" with area cops and firefighters on hand, plus a custom car display and an opportunity to see the original Batmobile - there will be a similar session at Enchanted Hills Elementary on Friday at 6 p.m.

Alexander said his department has done similar kit distributions at the recent State Fair and at the Rio Rancho Public Library.

"So far, parents are very responsive to this," he said.

The kits are also available at the SCSO on Idalia at NM 528; Alexander said parents only need to ask the deputy at the entrance for a kit.