San Antonio, Texas — For years, FOX San Antonio’s Yami Virgin has reported on the city’s promise to install Safe Haven Baby Boxes, devices that give parents in crisis a safe, anonymous way to surrender a newborn. After years of delays, city officials now say the first installations will arrive in November.

In the last year, at least three newborns were abandoned in San Antonio, one left on a sidewalk in freezing temperatures, another found in a wooded area off Austin Highway, and a newborn delivered and left in a Whataburger restroom. But there are also babies whose lives were saved, including a little girl now four years old who was safely surrendered to firefighters in a Safe Haven Baby Box.

San Antonio fire officials say the city is moving forward after working with architects and engineers to retrofit existing stations in key areas.

“The three initial stations, 24, 18, and 4, should be installed and running by the end of November,” said Joe Arrington, spokesperson for the San Antonio Fire Department.

Those three stations are on Austin Highway south of Perrin Beitel, WW White Road south of Martin Luther King Drive, and South St. Mary’s Street near Central Catholic High School. Officials say the devices are critical after a recent spike in abandonments.

“Within the last year, it’s been around two or three. There was kind of a run, unfortunately, there for a while,” Arrington said.

Advocates have pushed for years to see the boxes installed. No one has been more vocal than Pamela Allen of Eagle’s Flight Advocacy.

“Finally, yes, I’m so excited about that. This is the day we’ve been waiting for,” Allen said.

Allen said the first locations were chosen with community risk in mind. “We looked at hot-spot areas where abandoned babies have been found before,” she said.

Spreading awareness is the next hurdle, Allen added. “We’ve worked with homeless outreach and VIA buses, but now the city needs to help spread the word about these new safety devices,” she said.

Arrington emphasized that safe options already exist. “No charges, no judgment. Whether there’s a box or not, every fire station and every hospital is a Safe Haven location,” he said.

“And after years of delays, a future with fewer tragedies may finally be in sight,” Allen said. “We’ll celebrate even more when we see infants safely surrendered into these devices.”

The first three Safe Haven Baby Boxes will be at Stations 24, 18, and 4 in November. The next three are slated for stations that will be remodeled or newly built: one on South Flores near Southcross (Station 21), another on SW 36th Street near Castroville (Station 33), and another on Culebra near Zarzamora (Station 10).

To see a map of all San Antonio Fire Stations, you can clickhere.

Safe Haven in Texas (Baby Moses Law) Requirements :

Baby must be 60 days old or younger

Go to any hospital, fire station, or EMS station in Texas

Baby Boxes inside select stations are also Safe Haven sites

No name, no questions — no charges when the law is followed

Hand the baby to an on-duty employee for immediate care

CPS takes custody to ensure the baby’s safety and placement

Need help? Call/Text 1-888-510-BABY (2229) — 24/7 hotline

Emergency? Dial 911

Our Coverage of Safe Haven Laws and Abandoned Babies in South Texas:

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/nation-world/baby-safely-surrendered-in-racines-new-safe-haven-baby-box-a-first-for-wisconsin-fire-station-newborn-pro-life-family-newborn#

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/yami-investigates/sa-safe-haven-baby-devices-on-the-way-as-fears-of-newborn-abandonement-grow#

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/yami-investigates/local-fire-stations-havent-installed-life-saving-safe-baby-boxes-despite-funding-support-local-news-near-me-crime-law-public-safety#

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/yami-investigates/search-continues-for-suspects-who-abandoned-newborn-anikan-at-san-antonio-church-5000-reward-offered

https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/newborn-found-in-basket-on-freezing-san-antonio-street-leads-to-suspected-mothers-arrest-texas-investigation-police-hospital-ambulance#

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/nation-world/newborn-dead-died-baby-box-hospital-safe-haven-teen-teenager-teenage-18-year-old-deposit-new-born-child-newberry-report-death-arrest-police-ongoing-investigation-anonymous-children-kid-angel-blackfoot-idaho#

https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/mother-of-abandoned-baby-charged-11-21-2024-local-news-near-me-crime-law-public-safety#

https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/police-investigating-after-newborn-baby-found-abandoned-along-highway-local-news-near-me-crime-law-public-safety#

https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/baby-boxes-coming-to-12-san-antonio-fire-stations-september-1st-moses-law-hospitals-bexar-county-texas#

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/nation-world/mother-surrenders-infant-less-than-24-hours-old-to-safe-haven-baby-box-benton-fire-department-little-rock-arkansas-childrens-hospital-department-of-human-services#

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/nation-world/1st-newborn-surrendered-anonymously-at-kentucky-baby-box-bowling-green-safe-haven-baby-boxes-anonymous-mother-protecting-identities-132nd-location-in-us#

https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/baby-boxes-for-parents-wanting-to-to-anonymously-turn-over-infants-gaining-support-san-antonio-city-council-texas-bexar-county-safe-haven-program#

https://foxsanantonio.com/news/yami-investigates/eagle-flights-advocacy-provides-dignified-burials-for-65-children-including-baby-mary#