Manitowoc Fire Rescue dedicates Wisconsin’s 10th Safe Haven Baby Box

MANITOWOC, Wis. (WBAY) - A new Safe Haven Baby Box was blessed Wednesday at Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department Station 3, offering parents in crisis a safe, anonymous option to surrender an unharmed newborn.

The device marks the second baby box installed in northeast Wisconsin, the 10th in the state and the 487th nationwide.

In September, Wisconsin Rapids installed a baby box at the fire station on West Grand Avenue. Click here to learn more.

The box allows a parent to place an infant inside without interacting face-to-face with first responders. Once an infant is placed inside, the exterior door locks and triggers a silent alarm, alerting emergency crews to retrieve the child, provide immediate medical evaluation, and transfer the newborn to a local hospital before county human services and court proceedings begin. The compartment also includes an informational packet with resources for the mother, including crisis counseling and contact information for the Safe Haven organization.

Founded by Monica Kelsey, Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc. works to prevent illegal infant abandonment through education, community resource distribution and a 24-hour crisis hotline. Nationwide, 90 infants have been surrendered in baby boxes, while the organization has assisted with more than 225 safe hand-to-hand surrenders.