The Rapid City Fire Department has inaugurated South Dakota’s first Safe Haven Baby Box.
For years, there were discussions in South Dakota about introducing baby boxes. However, the urgency for these boxes grew after the tragic discovery of a baby named Gabrielle at a recycling center in Sioux Falls in 2024.
“The same week baby Gabrielle was found, we got another call about someone looking for a baby box. There was another mother wanting to give up her baby, but there wasn’t a box available. Fortunately, she managed to get to a hospital,” shared Jen Lee, Executive Director of SD Right to Life.
The baby box is installed at the first precinct of the Rapid City Fire Department in downtown. In South Dakota, infants younger than 60 days can be safely relinquished to hospitals, fire departments, police departments, emergency services, baby boxes, and licensed child referral agencies, according to the state Department of Social Services.
These baby boxes aim to stop parents from abandoning their newborns in unsafe places where their lives could be at risk. Typically, baby boxes are temperature-controlled incubators placed on the outside of fire stations, police stations, or hospitals, allowing access from indoors. This gives at-risk mothers a secure way to leave their newborns. Once a baby is placed inside a box, the outer door locks, giving the mother a moment to leave before an alarm notifies emergency responders that the baby has been placed inside.
The baby is then quickly retrieved and taken to the hospital for health assessments. Following that, the infant usually enters state custody and is often adopted shortly thereafter.
Brian Pobandra, Division Chief of the RCFD, stated, “We have a local monitored alarm at the station that alerts dispatch. If the baby box’s alarm triggers and personnel are available, we respond immediately to assess the newborn and transport them to the hospital.”
Pobandra expressed pride, saying, “We’re the first in South Dakota and the 418th in the country.”
Reports mention that a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the baby box will take place on Saturday.
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization originated in Indiana nine years ago and has since spread to over 400 locations in the U.S. The organization reports that more than 70 babies have been placed in baby boxes nationwide. Additionally, it claims to have facilitated safe transfers for 150 individuals to other safe havens.
They also operate a confidential national Safe Haven hotline, 1-866-99BABY1, which offers free counseling and guidance regarding safe surrenders, including in-person options.
