Hobbs Fire Station #1, located at 301 East White Street, is now a “safe haven” site. At a dedication ceremony on Tuesday, May 9, the City of Hobbs unveiled the installation of its first “baby box”.

The little box is located on the east side of the station and allows mothers and/or parents in crises to anonymously and safely surrender a newborn with no questions asked.

“It doesn’t matter if you are pro-life or pro-choice. These babies are alive. They are going to go in a dumpster, or they are going to go into a Safe Haven Baby Box, and those are the two options for some women….,” stated Monica Kelsey at the dedication ceremony. Kelsey is CEO and founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb commented, “The baby box concept was developed in order for someone to feel like they could take a child, and they’re unsure what to do about it and provide a safe haven for it.” 

According to Hobbs Fire Chief Barry Young the “baby box” allows for anonymity. He explained, “Mother, father, parent put the baby in the box, and they can basically disappear.”

Funding for the project came from a $10,000 State of New Mexico grant, $10,700 from PainFreeBirth via a fundraiser and donations, plus $1,300 from MECA Therapies, LLC.

The Hobbs Baby Box is the second to be installed in the state of New Mexico.

Hobbs Baby Box Project A Year In The Making

Hobbs City Commissioners unanimously passed Resolution 7262 in the fall of 2022 mandating the installation of a “baby box” in Hobbs. The commissioners’ decision was fueled by the January 6, 2022 incident in Hobbs when Alexis Avila, now standing convicted, tossed her living newborn wrapped in a blanket and then placed it in a plastic bag into a trash dumpster behind Rig Outfitters. 

On April 14 a Lea County jury found Avila guilty as a result of her actions on the counts of “Abuse of a Child Resulting in Great Bodily Harm” and of “Attempt to Commit Murder”. Avila was sentenced on May 1, 2023 to 16 years in prison.

According to a recent City of Hobbs press release (PDF), Hobbs City Commissioners hope through the installation of the “baby box” to provide the alternative of a “safer environment for future babies and families” when crises like the one Avila faced evolve.

“This installation is a safe place for those with newborn children and those [with infants] up to 90 days old to surrender their children without worry of repercussions. This Safe Haven Baby Box is about the safety and the future of the child. The responsibility of a parent is waived without judgment or punishment in order to preserve the child’s health and wellbeing,” states the press release.

“Safe Haven” Laws and the “Baby Box” Concept

Nick Silverio, the founder of a Safe Haven for Newborns says at the organization’s website, “Safe Haven laws provide a compassionate, safe and legal alternative to infant abandonment.” The website states that a, “Baby Box is a safety device provided for under [a] state’s Safe Haven Law and legally permits a mother [or parent(s)] in crisis to safely, securely, and anonymously surrender if they are unable to care for their newborn.”

Hobbs Fire Chief Barry Young has stated that the “baby box” is a “needed asset””for stakeholders in the Hobbs’ community, as well as for those in neighboring areas.

Hobbs “baby box” is installed in an exterior wall of the fire station. It is equipped with an exterior door that will automatically lock when an infant is placed inside. When an infant is surrendered, an alarm sounds to immediately notify staff of the infant’s presence. An interior door provides staff instant access to the child.

Fire Station #1 has trained care workers available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, “with regular monitoring”, states the press release. 

The press release notes that the “baby box” is “an environmentally controlled incubator” that will “..keep an infant in a secure and safe environment with sufficient oxygen, at comfortable temperature….”

After staff are notified of the presence of a baby in the little box, “…appropriate authorities will be contacted in order for the child to receive medical treatment and be deemed eligible to be enrolled in benefits and services.”

Hobbs City Manager Manny Gomez Speaks Out About the “Baby Box” Project 

Gomez states, “It has been over a year of anticipating the completion of this project. Many members of both the public and our own staff have shown interest in its progress, and we are grateful for that support and encouragement. This installation is not about the adults but about the child. We hope it provides a trusted, safe, secure Safe Haven….”

Gomez goes on to encourage the public to become involved in the project. For more information contact the City of Hobbs Communications Department by email at communications@hobbsnm.org or by telephone at (575)391-4169.