PRESS RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS – Wayne Township Trustee Jeb Bardon announced Wednesday, Aug. 7, that the Wayne Township Fire Department has become the first fire department in the nation to offer Safe Haven Baby Boxes at all of its firehouses.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes provide a secure and confidential place where parents can safely surrender their newborn, no questions asked. The department, which previously installed a baby box at one of its five stations, recently secured funding from local donors to add the devices to its four remaining stations.
“The mission of the Wayne Township Fire Department is to save lives, and these new baby boxes will help to do that, giving parents a safe, judgment free way to surrender their newborns,” said Bardon. “I want to thank our partners, whose generous donations made this possible. These baby boxes have and will continue to save lives.”
In March of 2023 a baby was surrendered using the baby box previously installed at Fire Station 82, located at West Washington Street.
Donations for the purchase and installation of the additional Safe Haven Baby Boxes were made by the American Legion Post 64 (Station 81), the George Day Memorial Foundation (Station 83), Bob Quigley (Station 84) and the Peterman Family Foundation (Station 85). Plaques honoring the donors will be installed at each station.