Firefighters recommend basic identification cards for child safety

ELKHART, Ind. –

Firefighters in Elkhart are recommending parents take the time to write out their child’s basic information on a card to serve as identification in an emergency situation.  

Those cards could serve in several situations. One of the most common, according to emergency responders, is when a parent has a medical emergency or is separated from the children. 

“So we might have an instance where there’s a car accident and the parent needs to be taken to the hospital immediately and then we’re left with one or maybe more small children that can’t speak and relay their information,” said Grant Roberts Jr., a paramedic with the Elkhart Fire Department. 

Roberts says having access to basic information can help emergency responders in these types of situations. He suggests listing the child’s name, birthday, any medical conditions, allergies or medications, and an emergency contact. 

This information just needs to be kept near the child, like taped to a car seat or on the child’s jacket. 

“In the winter especially, we have nice coats with big zippers. You can tag something onto that, something maybe laminated,” said Roberts. “We’re trying to come up with some sort of card that would give the basic information that we would like, and we can hand those out to people as requested or even at large events.”

Roberts says he hopes to have those cards completed within the next month. He said any updates on the cards can be found on this Facebook page.