Authorities in California are applauding a young woman who surrendered her newborn twins to a fire station late last month under the state’s Safe Surrender law.
San Bernardino County Fire wrote on Facebook that the newborns were “cared for, cleaned up, and fed” when their mother brought them to the Hesperia fire station at 8:30 p.m on January 28. The woman reportedly explained that she had just given birth and wanted to leave the newborns at the station, in compliance with the law.
While firefighters described both babies as healthy, they were then taken to the hospital for further medical evaluation.
The unnamed woman declined medical attention and was given legal information on how to reclaim her children if she desires.
California’s Safe Surrender law allows mothers to surrender newborns younger than 72-hours-old to designated “Safe Surrender” sites. The mother then has two weeks to reclaim her babies.
Fire stations that aren’t staffed full time aren’t considered “Safe Surrender” sites. However, they’re equipped with a phone that is directly connected to a dispatch center. Safe Surrender sites are marked at all eligible locations.
“This is exactly why the Safe Surrender program was created,” Fire Chief Mark Hartwig explained in a statement. “This young mother did the right thing by bringing her babies to the fire station. Regardless of your circumstances, the Safe Surrender program is a viable and loving option—no questions asked.”
[Featured Image: San Bernardino County Fire Department/Google Images]
