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Woman Leaves Baby Boy At Lake Wales Firehouse

Lake Wales Fire Department

FROM LEFT: Lake Wales firefighters Mike Sykes, Heath Hall, Johnny Harris, Perry Daughtry, Travis O'Bryant, Matt Hulen and Paul Byrd pose with the baby.

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By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 15, 2007

Updated: 11/15/2007 02:18 pm

LAKE WALES - A woman left a healthy newborn boy at the Lake Wales Fire Department's main station about 8:50 this morning, Fire Chief Jerry Brown said.

The woman, presumably the child's mother, was leaving the baby in a carrier at the front door of the fire station when several firefighters saw her, Brown said. They started to ask her questions, but she declined to answer and walked away, he said.

She left a note indicating the baby was born Oct. 22 and was scheduled for feeding at 10:30 a.m., Brown said.

"The baby was checked by the firefighters, who are all EMTs or paramedics, and appears to be in excellent condition," Brown said.

Under state law, fire and rescue stations are "safe havens" for newborns, places where parents can surrender their babies without legal repercussions.

However, Florida's safe haven law requires the surrendered child be 3 days old or younger.

It was not immediately clear whether that would affect the mother's immunity. Brown said his department has no interest in seeing the woman face charges or any other kind of trouble. He said he doubts she knew the specifics of the law.

Nick Silverio, who through a foundation advocates for use of the safe haven law, said the woman acted completely within the spirit of the law and that women have surrendered children older than hers without repercussion.

Brown described the healthy baby as a blessing. "The firefighters on B shift received a wonderful Christmas present this morning," Brown said.

The child is in the custody of the state while investigators make sure he wasn't stolen or lost, Lake Wales police said.

This is a first time a baby has been left at the Lake Wales Fire Department under the auspices of the safe haven law.

The boy is the 86th child surrendered in Florida under the law since its inception in 2000, according to Silverio's Web site, www.asafehavenfornewborns.com. The boy is the fourth such child in Polk County.

Reporter Billy Townsend can be reached at (863) 284-1409 or wtownsend@tampatrib.com.

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