CULLMAN, Ala. – A Safe Haven Baby Box will be installed at Cullman Fire Rescue Station 3 on the north side of the city, offering parents experiencing a crisis a safe and secure way to surrender their newborns with anonymity. The boxes are designed to prevent infant abandonment and ensure surrendered infants receive immediate medical attention.
The Cullman City Council recently authorized Mayor Woody Jacobs to enter into an agreement with Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. for installation of the box.
Both Jacobs and Fire Chief Darren Peeples are in support of the new installation. This new initiative conforms with Safe Haven laws, which allow parents to safely relinquish the care of their child to authorities without judgment.
“Statistically speaking, most babies which have been surrendered to a Safe Haven Baby Box are from outside counties, most likely due to concern for anonymity,” said Jacobs. “However, if it helps only one child in the next 10 years, then it will be worth knowing we saved one life due to the resource(s) made available.”
The Save Haven Baby Box has numerous tools to ensure the infant’s safety, such as a climate-controlled environment and silent alarms that immediately notify law enforcement when a baby is placed inside. The child will be picked up within five minutes, immediate medical care will be administered and the infant will be immediately transferred to the hospital.
There is no current education plan for the Safe Have Baby Box; however, local officials have stated that the process to use the box is very straightforward. Cullman Fire Rescue has partnered with other departments that use a SHBB to model its training protocols. Extensive checkups and tests will be regularly conducted on the device to ensure everything operates correctly.
Tribune Senior Reporter W.C. Mann previously reported:
On its website, the manufacturer said of its product, “Designed with innovative safety features and installed on the exterior walls of fire stations and hospitals, each box ensures the safe and anonymous surrender of infants. The exterior door locks automatically when a newborn is placed inside, and an interior door allows medical personnel to promptly and securely retrieve the baby, ensuring immediate care and protection.
“Every year, countless infants are heartbreakingly abandoned in the United States. While each situation is unique, parents are continuously finding themselves in times of crisis, facing emotional and practical challenges that can lead to desperate and unsafe decisions. These tragic stories underscore the urgent need for a secure and compassionate alternative that provides parents with a safe and anonymous option for child surrender and gives children the possibility of a brighter future.
“Since 2016, Safe Haven Baby Boxes have provided a discreet and secure option for parents to surrender their newborns. By raising awareness of the Safe Haven Law, operating a national 24-hour hotline, and carefully designing and implementing Baby Boxes in fire stations across the United States, Safe Haven Baby Boxes help ensure that no child is left without care and no parent feels like they have no options.”
Cullman Fire Chief Darren Peoples told The Tribune that he was unaware of incidents of infant abandonment in Cullman, but “nationwide there’s been a positive response to mothers having a way to help their children in bad situations, to give them a safe haven.”
Cullman Fire Rescue Station 3 is located at 1920 Butler St. NW, off of Alabama Highway 157. The Tribune will report when installation of the box is complete.
Learn more about Safe Haven Baby Boxes at www.shbb.org.
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