Newborn baby surrendered at Ennis fire station
ENNIS, Texas - An infant was safely surrendered at a fire station in Ennis. It’s the first time someone has used a Safe Haven Baby Box in the city.
What we know:
The baby was placed in the box at Fire Station No. 3 in May.
The firefighters there were notified by a silent alarm. They were able to give the baby immediate care and medical attention.
The baby’s parents will not face any legal consequences for surrendering their child because of the state’s Safe Haven law.
Dig deeper:
The Texas Safe Haven Law allows parents to legally and anonymously surrender their child without fear of prosecution.
The baby must be unharmed and show no signs of abuse, younger than 60 days old, and dropped off at designated locations including fire stations and hospitals.
What they're saying:
"This Safe Haven Baby Box was installed to provide a secure alternative when someone feels they have nowhere else to turn," said Fire Chief Evans. "While we cannot share specific details regarding the infant or the circumstances of the surrender, we can confirm that the Safe Haven system functioned exactly as it was designed to — safely, securely, and with the utmost care."
What we don't know:
Ennis officials said they could not release any information about the baby or the baby’s parents because of privacy laws.
They also did not release any information about the circumstances surrounding the child’s surrender.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a news release from the city of Ennis.