Tennessee Firefighters Receive Their First Baby In A Drop Off Box, Many More Lives Expected To Be Saved

On Saturday, a “Safe Haven Baby Box” in Tennessee saw its first success with a healthy newborn that was estimated to be only about 30 minutes old being dropped off at the Knoxville fire station. 

The Knoxville Fire Department took to their Facebook page to share the news, stating, “Last night at 12:19 AM, the Knoxville Fire Department Station 17 (located at 4804 Western Ave) received a "Baby Box Alert" for their Baby Box in the station. The station crew of three immediately went to the box and found a healthy baby boy inside. The child was not injured and was quickly removed from the box for further evaluation. The station crew called for an ambulance to transport the child to the hospital.”



“The Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in Knoxville on February 17th with funding assistance from the Craig Foundation,” the post continued. “This Baby Box is the first in Tennessee, and this was the first time it was used since its installation. This resource is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at Fire Station 17 and is entirely anonymous for any parent who needs a place to turn in a time of crisis.”

“The City of Knoxville is home to the state’s first Safe Haven Baby Box in Tennessee,” the final part read. “This community resource is at KFD’s station #17 on Western Ave. Firefighters demonstrate how this will work and explain how this tool can help them save more lives.”

The post also had a link to a YouTube video showing how the box works, which is simply a mother placing a baby in the box in the specified area and leaving them. The box is temperature-controlled and safe from the weather conditions outside. 

Tennessee has had a safe haven law since 2001 allowing “mothers of newborns to surrender unharmed babies to designated facilities within two weeks of birth with fear of being prosecuted,” according to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. “As long as the baby is unharmed and the child is surrendered within two weeks of birth, the mother – or parents – will not be prosecuted and is assured of complete confidentiality.”

Safe Haven laws provide an alternative for mothers that aren’t able to take responsibility for the child they’re birthing. Rather than resorting to killing the unborn baby, the mother can carry the child to term without fear of being stuck with the unwanted baby.

The baby box may not look the happiest but it does provide the baby with the chance at life rather than ending up in an abortion clinic's dumpster. It’s nice to see that at least one child will get a shot at life.