By The City of Hutchinson Fire Department
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Fire Department and Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System will be presented with over $33,000 in donations toward the save a child Hope’s Cradle project. This project will allow us to install baby cradles in two fire stations in Hutchinson. A press conference will be held on Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. for the project. Come find out who is donating $25,000 to the project to kick start it and see where the first one will be installed.
A Hope’s Cradle is a legal, private and secure way a mother or guardian can relinquish their rights of a child anonymously. These cradles are installed on the outside of the fire station. When a child is placed within the cradle and the door shut, an alarm immediately goes off alerting authorities, including 911, that action needs to take place.
“Our goal really is to ensure both the Guardian and the child have a future,” stated Fire Chief Steven Beer on the mission and purpose for this project. “This cradle can give the Guardian hope in a desperate situation, and prevent that loss of life.”
House Bill 2024 was passed earlier this year permitting the installation of such safety boxes or cradles at both fire and police stations in Kansas. The goal would be for these cradles to be located at the new fire station on Main Street and one at the Avenue E station, providing support to residents in multiple areas of the community.
