The Hopkinsville Fire Department, Alpha Alternative Pregnancy Care Center and nonprofit, Safe Haven Baby Box hosted a blessing and unveiling for a baby box installed at Fire Station One on Monday.
Community members gathered for the unveiling of the baby box which serves to house a baby in the event a parent feels they must surrender them and allows parents a way to safely and anonymously due so. The baby box has a door on the outside of the building where a baby can be surrendered and another door on the inside for firefighters and EMS to receive the baby.
At the unveiling, Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight says the city needed this baby box and he and Fire Department Chief Steve Futrell are talking about establishing another baby box at a different station.
Alpha Alternative Executive Director, Angie Crawford says when they heard of Save Haven Baby Box, they were instantly drawn to the idea of establishing a baby box in Hopkinsville because of how many people they come across who are experiencing unexpected pregnancies.
Along with providing a safe environment for the baby, the baby box also contains information for the parent making the drop off. Crawford says the parents will receive an informational packet sharing their parental rights and resources.
Jen Savage from Safe Haven Baby Box says the baby box in Hopkinsville is the 201st box to be blessed in the country and the 31st box in Kentucky.
Across Kentucky, Savage says four babies have been surrendered to Safe Haven Baby Boxes since the start of 2024.
To conclude the event, Fire Department Chaplain Nathan Miller blessed the baby box thanking those that donated to help raise funds for the project and prayed for the protection of the babies that are surrendered.
Following the blessing, attendees were able to look at the baby box from inside the station. Deputy Chief of Fire Operations, Bill Pyle says after a baby is placed in the box firefighters and EMS will be notified and retrieve the baby within 90 seconds and transport the baby to a hospital emergency room.
The baby box is located at Hopkinsville Fire Department Station One at 116 Phillip Meacham Way.
