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THE OF 6B <br /> AS NTON <br /> Staff Report <br /> <br /> February 15, 2005 <br /> Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department <br /> <br />SUBJECT: The Safely Surrendered Baby Law <br /> <br />STAFF <br />RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that, by resolution, the City Council <br /> designate all City Fire Stations as Safe Surrender Baby <br /> Sites. <br /> <br />SUMMARY: The Alameda County Board of Supervisors is recommending the <br /> expansion of the 2001 Safely Surrendered Baby Law by including <br /> fire stations in Alameda County in its list of safe surrender sites. <br /> The current law limits the safe surrender of newborn infants to <br /> hospital emergency rooms. A parent or legal guardian can <br /> surrender an infant without fear of prosecution for child <br /> abandonment. The intent of this program is to reduce infant deaths <br /> resulting from unsafe child abandonment. <br /> <br /> Program kits will be financed through Alameda County Child <br /> Protective Services, and the Fire Department can absorb the <br /> expense for personnel program familiarization and operations <br /> training with minimal budget impact. <br /> <br />Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />The Safely Surrendered Baby Law (also known as the Safe Haven or Newborn Abandonment <br />Law) authorized the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to designate locations where a <br />parent or guardian who has lawfu! custody of a newborn (less than 72 hours) may <br />confidentially surrender their newborn, without fear of criminal prosecution. The use of fire <br />stations as drop-off locations for newborns is part of a statewide effort to reduce the tragic <br />consequences of infant abandonment. <br />SR 05:058 <br /> <br /> <br />