An hours-old baby was in good condition at an Orange County hospital Friday night after a young mother surrendered the child to firefighters.
The mother rang the bell at a Santa Ana fire station around 7 p.m., and gave the newborn to firefighters under California’s Safe Surrender law.
The child was thought to be between 12 and 18 hours old and seemed to be in good condition, according to Ben Gonzalez, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority.
For many of the firefighters, it was the first time they had received a child under the Safe Surrender law, and it was an emotional moment for many of them, Gonzalez said.
The Safe Surrender law allows parents to surrender a child less than 72 hours old to designated locations — chiefly hospitals and fire stations — with no questions asked.
The law was designed to prevent infant abandonment, and Gonzalez said the mother's actions may have given the baby a chance at a better life and the mother a chance at a fresh start.
"Unfortunately in my tenure I've seen the other side of it and with this that allows the young mother to do this, what a great thing this program is, definitely, because it does give the baby a second chance. It gives mom a second chance," said Gonzalez.
