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KFD: Baby placed in Safe Haven box 30 minutes after birth

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KFD: Baby placed in Safe Haven box 30 minutes after birth

Ella Wales  |  May 29, 2023  |  11:34 AM EDT

KNOXVILE, Tenn. (WATE) – Tennessee’s first Safe Haven Baby Box was used for the first time early Saturday morning according to the Knoxville Fire Department.

The box was installed in February at Knoxville Fire Department Station 17 on Western Avenue. Shortly after midnight Saturday, three crew members responded to the box after the alarm was set off.

They found an uninjured baby boy inside, who appeared to be approximately 30 minutes old. The firefighters called an ambulance to transport the baby to the hospital.

Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks with KFD said they are grateful to be able to help children and parents in crisis.

“The whole purpose of this box is to be a resource for our community, that a mother or a parent that is in crisis and doesn’t know what to do with a child, has a place to go,” Wilbanks said.

He said not only does the box provide a safe place for the child, but also resources for the parent. There is a bag inside the box that has information about resources for the parent that they can take with them.

“It may sound a little bit hard to say, but we don’t want them putting the child in the dumpster, we would much rather them place the child in this box where it’s safe and has an opportunity,”  .  .  .

https://www.wate.com/news/knox-county-news/kfd-baby-placed-in-safe-haven-box-30-minutes-after-birth/

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