An infant was safely surrendered to a Safe Haven Baby Box at a firehouse in Ohio in mid-January, according to local officials.

The baby was anonymously placed inside the baby box located at the Delhi Township Firehouse on Neeb Road, Fox19 reported. Authorities said the child was less than 30 days old, making the surrender legal under Ohio law. It was the first time the baby box at that firehouse had been used since it was installed in 2022.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey said the device exists to provide mothers in crisis with a safe alternative to abandoning newborns in dangerous conditions.

“This mother’s decision was selfless, an act of pure love. She chose life. She chose safety. She chose hope,” Kelsey said, adding that the box was “built for this exact purpose.”

Safe Haven Baby Boxes are designed as temperature-controlled incubators built into the exterior walls of fire stations, police stations, or hospitals. A parent can legally and anonymously place a newborn inside. Once the child is placed in the box, the exterior door locks, allowing the parent to leave before an internal alarm alerts first responders or hospital staff.

After the alarm is triggered, the infant is quickly retrieved by emergency personnel and transported to a hospital for a medical evaluation. In most cases, the child is then placed into state custody and often adopted.

Delhi Township officials said the newborn was transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for evaluation and is now in the custody of Job and Family Services, which is seeking a permanent adoptive home.

“The district officer was happy to be a part of it,” said Delhi Township Fire Lt. Kevin Kraemer. “We’re happy that this parent trusted us.”

Safe Haven Baby Boxes was launched nine years ago in Indiana and has since expanded nationwide, with at least 400 baby box locations across the United States. According to the organization, more than 70 newborns have been surrendered using baby boxes, and an additional 150 people have been assisted with safe surrenders at other approved safe haven locations.

Under Ohio law, unharmed infants up to 30 days old may be legally surrendered at baby boxes, hospitals, fire stations, police stations, and emergency medical service providers.

The organization also operates a confidential National Safe Haven Hotline at 1-866-99BABY1, which offers free counseling and information about legal and safe surrender options.