The child was left just inside the garage doors that had been left open at Houston Fire Department Station 39 on Pickfair near Kelley in northeast Houston.
Firefighters have unpredictable work assignments. On Monday morning, the crew at Station 39 had an emergency call. When they returned and sat down to breakfast, they heard a sound that no one expected -- a baby crying.
The baby boy is estimated to be 9-10 months old and weighs 20 lbs 15 oz. He's believed to be Hispanic. He was wearing a red onesie or a T-shirt and sitting in a stroller. Someone had apparently walked through the station garage doors and left him in the stroller beside a picnic bench.
HFD spokesperson Captain Ruy Lozano said, "The firefighters immediately examined the baby and he looked great. They took him to a nearby hospital and the baby seems to be in good condition."
Houston fire stations are Safe Havens where children can be left by a parent unable to care for them. In Texas, though, the Baby Moses law applies only to infants up to 60 days old. This child is older than that, but that is not the fire department's concern.
"Instead of finding the baby in a dumpster or in another dangerous place, they kind of feel like whoever did it showed true courage," Capt. Lozano said.
Child Protective Services says there are resources besides abandonment available to parents. The baby will spend the night in the hospital. He is now in CPS custody. The agency would like to track down the child's parents or family to see if there's another relatives who could care for him.
Safe Haven or Baby Moses Law
If you have a newborn that you're unable to care for, you can bring your baby to a designated safe place with no questions asked. The Safe Haven law, also known as the Baby Moses law, gives parents who are unable to care for their child a safe and legal choice to leave their infant with an employee at a desginated safe place -- a hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services (EMS) station. Then, your baby will receive medical care and be placed with an emergency provider.
For more information, please go to Baby Safe HavenExternal Link or The Baby Moses ProjectExternal Link or call the Texas Baby Moses Hotline 1-877-904-SAVE (1-877-904-7283).
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