Ohio firefighters will soon carry cribs on emergency calls

ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) – Firefighters in an Ohio city will soon start carrying infant pack-and-play cribs with them on emergency calls.

The Chronicle-Telegram of Elyria reports (http://bit.ly/1LOJay2 ) the baby items are intended for homes where parents using unsafe sleeping practices run the risk of children dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The department will also collect contact information so a nurse can follow up with the parents.

The Elyria Fire Department is the latest organization to join an effort to lower the infant mortality rate in the state. The program is funded through a mix of grants.

City Health Commissioner Kathy Boylan worries the funding will run out while the need for beds goes on. She says this “has to be a program we continue.”

Each bed and sleep packet costs $80.