ST ALBANS, WV (WOWK) — A Kanawha County fire department is celebrating a milestone Monday in the ongoing effort to protect abandoned infants.

The third Safe Haven Baby Box in the state of West Virginia has been installed at the St. Albans Fire Department. The fire department and the Safe Haven Baby Box organization hosted a dedication and blessing for the new box on Monday, Aug. 12.

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These boxes provide a legal and anonymous way for women to safely surrender their newborns. They were designated under the safe haven law, which allows the surrender of a child 30 days or younger at a hospital, health care facility or fire department.

The St. Albans Fire Department proposed the idea in September of last year, and within 24 hours there was enough money to purchase and install the box. The Chapman Technical Group donated $18,000, Joost Security donated an alarm system, and dozens of community members also made donations for the Safe Haven Baby Box.

The alarm system works by sending an alert to first responders when the door is opened and another when the infant is placed in the bassinet within the box. After the door is closed, it locks and does not unlock until the infant is removed from the other side.

The box will be staffed at all times by emergency medical technicians and will have the baby retrieved within 60 seconds.

St. Albans Fire Chief Lance Carney said that the community has been so supportive of the box.

The Safe Haven Baby Box is now fully operational and located at the St. Albans Central Fire Station on 6th Avenue.

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