“A miracle happened in Hobbs today,” said Hobbs city manager Manny Gomez. Hobbs Fire Station 1 staff responded around noon on Saturday, September 23 to the station’s Safe Haven Baby Box alarm “to find a healthy newborn baby boy safe and sound within the incubator.” 

About the incident, Hobbs Interim Fire Chief Mark Doporto told KOAT News 7, “There’s not any investigations. I do have to say it was a courageous person who dropped this baby off. … I couldn’t be happier for the end result of this entire thing.”

According to a City of Hobbs press release (PDF), the baby boy “was placed inside the compartment safe and sound around midday. Hobbs Fire Department’s B shift responded to the safety alarm which notified staff within the building, key personnel, and dispatch as soon as the compartment door closed.”

Immediately after being found the infant was transported to Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital for examination and any necessary medical treatment. The press release states, “It is important to note the child was found to be healthy and well cared for when found by Fire Department personnel.” According to KOAT news, the boy will go to CYFD (New Mexico Children,Youth, and Families Department) after being “checked out” at the hospital.

City Manager Gomez commented that Saturday’s incident is “all that could be hoped for in such a situation, and staff are elated that the Safe Haven Baby Box served its purpose perfectly and a new life was saved. This device has created a safer environment for newborn babies and families in our community.”

Gomez continued, “We would be remiss to not thank Monica Kelsey with Safe Haven Baby Box, MECA Therapies, #PainFreeBirth, the State of New Mexico, and Senator David Gallegos for their work and funding which made this device possible. Lastly, I commend the Hobbs Fire Department for their diligence, sensitivity, and care during this situation.”

Under New Mexico law fire stations, police stations and hospitals are considered safe haven sites. These sites are required to “accept an infant without the individual or parent being subject to criminal prosecution. A newborn baby up to 90 days old may be surrendered at one of these sites without worry of repercussions to the parent(s) of New Mexico,” states the press release.

All about the safety of a child, the Safe Haven Baby Box at Hobbs Fire Station 1 provides a secure and safe environment for an infant when placed within. The “environmentally controlled incubator device” provides “sufficient oxygen” and a “comfortable temperature.” The device is “equipped with a transparent door and safety alarm to immediately notify the operator(s) that an infant has been placed in the device,” states the press release.

When a child is placed within the baby box, “the responsibility of a parent is waived without judgment or punishment in order to preserve the child’s health and wellbeing.”

Currently, two Safe Haven Baby Boxes exist in the State of New Mexico – the one located in Hobbs at Fire Station 1, 301 East White Street and the other located in Española, at the Española Fire Station, 806 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Road, Española, New Mexico 87532.