OKCFD unveils state's first Safe Haven Baby Box
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - The Oklahoma City Fire Department unveiled the state’s first Safe Haven Baby Box Thursday morning.
“We're in the life saving business and we'll do everything we can to support our residents and support life,” said Fire Chief Richard Kelley.
OKCFD says the goal of the box is to provide a safe and anonymous option for parents who are unable or unwilling to take care of their newborns.
“With the installation of the Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station 21, parents now have a discreet and secure method to surrender their infants, ensuring that they are protected and receive the care they deserve,” said Chief Scott Douglas in a press release.
The founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, Inc., Monica Kelsey, was at Thursday’s event. She says the first ever box was installed in April 2016. Since then, more than 150 have been installed across the country.
“We give parents in this community and beyond the opportunity to save the life of their child and to place this child in an electronically monitored box instead of the alternative, which we see every three days in America, which is a dumpster or a trash can,” said Kelsey.
The box operates under a 2021 state law, authored by Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, which allows parents to surrender infants up to 30 days old without fear of prosecution, as long as the baby isn’t harmed.
“It's very appropriate. You all are rescuers and this really does rescue people," said Treat. “I am extremely excited to have been a small part of being able to do the legislation that authorized it in Oklahoma.”
It is climate-controlled and equipped with motion sensors and a silent alarm system that immediately alerts emergency personnel upon an infant's placement inside.
“It is climate controlled. It has a fan that's continuously running. It also has a heater,” explained Deputy Chief Mike Walker.
From there, firefighters will give the baby any medical care it may need, take it to the hospital and alert DHS.
"We're very proud of the fact that we're the first baby box in the state of Oklahoma,” said Walker.