MADISON, Alabama — A safe and legal way for a mother to surrender her newborn child, it's called the 'safe haven' box, and the concept has been in regular use in other parts of the country for the better part of the last decade. However, the program has only been legal in Alabama since this summer. FOX54 spoke with Madison Fire and Rescue Station One where the first such box in North Alabama is set to be installed.
Madison Community Risk Reduction and Public Information Officer Dan Pickens said this First Haven Baby Box is a way a person can anonymously surrender their child. "Our preference is that they never be used. [But] if a person decides that they want to surrender their child anonymously, they will come to our box, which will be mounted in, open up the box, and place their infant in the box."
Once the person has shut the door it is locked. "It can no longer be accessed from the outside."
Once the child is placed in the box, Madison Fire Station One dispatch is notified through an electronic silent alarm, telling them that the box has been utilized. "Once the door has been secured and we're notified, this is our access point for the fire department. We open the door and that allows us access to the child on the inside and be able to remove the child safely and to give the child an assessment to make sure that it's healthy and nothing is wrong. "
Alabama DHR takes over from there. A spokesperson with the department said, "When a baby is surrendered in a baby safety device, the child must be taken to a local hospital for evaluation and the local county DHR must be notified. DHR takes immediate care, custody and control of the infant. DHR will then follow its process to find a proper placement for the child."
This corrects previous incorrect information about the placement of the child.
Although the Fire Station's preference is that that these boxes never be used, Pickens said this option gives a child a chance at life.