INDIANAPOLIS – The Wayne Township Fire Department is the first fire department in the country to offer Safe Haven Baby Boxes at all of its fire stations.
The department had previously installed a baby station at one of its five wards and recently secured funding from local donors to install the equipment at its four remaining wards.
“The Wayne Township Fire Department’s mission is to save lives, and these new baby boxes will help do that by providing parents with a safe and non-judgmental way to drop off their newborns,” said Bardon. “I want to thank our partners whose generous donations made this possible. These baby boxes have saved lives and will continue to do so.”
In March 2023, a baby was dropped off at the baby unit at Fire Station 82 on West Washington Street.
Donations for the purchase and installation of the additional Safe Haven Baby Boxes were made by the American Legion Post 64 (Station 81), the George Day Memorial Foundation (Station 83), Bob Quigley (Station 84), and the Peterman Family Foundation (Station 85).
At each station, memorial plaques will be placed to honor the donors.
What is a Safe Haven Baby Box?
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Baby boxes are safe incubators with an alarm system so that the emergency number 911 is notified as soon as a baby is placed inside. The baby boxes also have heating and cooling functions.
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Once the newborn is collected by first responders, he or she is taken to the nearest medical facility for examination.
Infants surrendered under Indiana’s Safe Haven Law are placed in the care of the state’s child welfare agency after they are discharged from the hospital. The process of finding an adoptive family begins within 30 to 45 days.
Safe Haven Hotline
The boxes make headlines, but the Safe Haven Hotline is where most of these journeys begin.
SHBB operates a 24-hour Safe Haven hotline (1-866-99BABY1) where parents can speak with trained professionals and receive more information about their options for surrender or how to receive assistance in caring for their child.
The SHBB hotline is staffed by state-approved advisors.
