Latest news with #SanAngeloFireDepartment
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Left with Love: Inside the Baby Box Movement
ABILENE, Texas () – A year ago, Abilene introduced a safe option for new parents to surrender their newborns who are less than 60 days old. KTAB's special, 'Left with Love: Inside the Baby Box Movement,' uncovers the emotional stories behind baby boxes—haven drop-offs that save newborn lives and give families hope. WATCH TONIGHT: Left with Love, Inside the Baby Box Movement The Safe Haven Baby Box in Abilene is located at Fire Station #7. This facility allows new parents to anonymously surrender a newborn baby less than 60 days old. When a baby is placed inside the container, a silent alarm sounds until the door is securely shut. After the baby is inside the box, firefighters will come to the retrieval area in the truck bay to collect it. The baby is then examined and sent to Child Protective Services. How does Abilene's baby box work? A look inside Fire Station #7 Monica Kelsey, Founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, shared insight on how her passion helped her get started with helping babies and new parents who need to surrender their babies. Abilene Fire Chief Cande Flores explained how the station handles the situation once the babies are put in and how they safely handle it. In San Angelo, Melanie Wood and Chief of the San Angelo Fire Department, Johnny Fisher, hope to contribute to its legacy by introducing a Safe Haven Baby Box, a cause that speaks from the heart. 'The most recent was probably about seven or eight years ago…the baby was dropped off by the mother. Fire stations and hospitals are safe haven through the Moses Law, a safe places to surrender your babies,' Fisher recalled. The concept of a Safe Haven Baby Box is still in the planning stages, but there is a specific location and goal in mind. Fisher mentioned that they aim to install the baby box at San Angelo's Central Fire Station once the necessary funds have been raised. The Baby Moses Law, or Safe Haven, allows parents or guardians to surrender their infants safely and anonymously. In 2023, this law was revised to enhance the process by permitting the use of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, which provide a secure, temperature-controlled environment for the surrendering of infants. This ensures both the safety of the child and the privacy of the parent. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
San Angelo could get a Safe Haven Baby Box — here's what that means
SAN ANGELO, Texas — San Angelo already shines in many ways, and Melanie Wood hopes to contribute to its legacy by introducing a Safe Haven Baby Box, a cause that speaks from the heart. 'So here in Texas, we have the highest number of newborns who have been abandoned in our state, and it seems to be going up every day. With Safe Haven Baby Boxes, this is an alternative to that,' Wood explained. SAFD joins baby box fundraising initiative A baby box provides a safe, temperature-controlled environment for parents or guardians to surrender their infant. When a baby is placed inside, the box immediately notifies the appropriate care professionals, who can promptly retrieve the child. This process allows guardians to surrender their baby without encountering the care professionals, reducing any fear of judgment that might prevent them from ensuring the child's safety. Chief of the San Angelo Fire Department Johnny Fisher said their crew has experienced the reality of this firsthand. 'The most recent was probably about seven or eight years ago… the baby was dropped off by the mother. Fire stations and hospitals are safe haven through the Moses Law, a safe places to surrender your babies,' Fisher recalled. 'We took the baby, the baby was unharmed. Everything went great. A few questions were asked, like maybe the name, if there's any health problems or concerns, and then the baby was taken to the hospital. So it was very uneventful, and worked out, well.' However, this is not always the case. From Lubbock to Los Angeles, infant abandonment remains a heartbreaking reality. A Safe Haven baby box provides an alternative with an emphasis on anonymity. 'Sometimes they haven't told anybody that they're pregnant. It could be a teenager. It could be just anybody. They haven't told anybody yet,' Wood shared. 'This gives them a way to be anonymous and still love their baby enough to surrender it in a Safe Haven Baby Boxes.' Left with Love: Inside the Baby Box Movement Right now, a Safe Haven Baby Box in San Angleo is still an idea, but one with a location and goal in mind. 'When the money is raised for the box, we'll have to order the box, but once it comes in, it's going to be installed at the central fire station, 306 West First. It's going to be installed on the south exterior wall,' Fisher said. They are currently in the fundraising stage, but with a price tag of upwards of $25,000, there's still a long way to go. 'We have a little less than $1,000, and I believe here in San Angelo that people do love our community, and I think this is great for our community, and that they can protect the least of these. They can protect these, these infants, and still support the moms as well,' Wood added. A way to save lives and offer hope to families in desperate situations. , and if you have any questions, you can contact hanna@ or call (260) 632-2338. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
