Operation Kidsafe runs through Saturday in Escanaba

ESCANABA — Operation Kidsafe is an international initiative designed to help keep kids safe by providing documentation to parents regarding their children in case of an emergency.

Riverside Ford in Escanaba is currently holding an Operation Kidsafe event for the surrounding community. Parents can bring their kids in to get their pictures and fingerprints taken for free.

“It’s totally private, so we don’t even want the children’s names,” Riverside Ford general manager Kip Thiel said. “We want to just give you, the parents, a photograph and the fingerprints of the children, but they do get some information to fill out — some private information — after they are gone with their children, and it’s on a sheet that also has some safety tips for them, too.”

The documentation parents receive is not stored, and once parents fill it out, it is ready to hand over to law enforcement if a child goes missing or is kidnapped.

Riverside Ford is hosting the event in its new facility on Ludington Street.

“We want to introduce them to the new location,” Thiel added. “It’s a great place. It’s state of the art. We’re loving it, we want the public to love it, and to have them come in for a reason that’s something good for the community would be a great idea, too.”

The event runs through Saturday. It’s free of charge and no appointment is required. Parents can bring their children in anytime during store hours. For more information on the program, you can visit kidsafeprints.com.