Safe Haven Baby Box installed at Shively Fire Department

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The 13th Safe Haven Baby Box was installed Tuesday in Kentucky.

The new baby box unveiled at the Shively Fire Department off Park Road is the 119th box in the country.

When a child is placed inside a Safe Haven Baby Box, the box will automatically lock, keeping the child safe inside a temperature-controlled crib. An alarm is then triggered, alerting the fire department and placing a call to 911 so responders know a child is in need of their help.

House Bill 155 allows newborn safety devices to be installed at participating police stations, fire stations and hospitals. The law allows parents to safely surrender a newborn anonymously and without fear of punishment.

"This is important to give moms and dads a last resort option if they can't choose a parenting plan or they can't choose an adoption plan and they can't walk into this fire house and hand their child to a person," said Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. "We need to have a resource for them so they can have anonymity."

If you need help finding a baby box location, or want to speak to a counselor, call the National Safe Haven crisis hotline at 1-866-99-BABY1 or click here.