x
Breaking News
More () »

City of Hobbs to install baby box at local fire station

Months after a mother threw her baby in a dumpster, Hobbs is now installing a "Baby Box" at a fire station for parents who choose to surrender their babies.

HOBBS, N.M. — The City of Hobbs recently approved the installation of a baby box at Fire Station One.

The baby box will be provided through the non-profit organization Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

Earlier this year a Hobbs mother, Alexis Avila, threw her baby in a dumpster and hours later her baby was recovered alive by dumpster divers. Following the incident, the City of Hobbs started the conversation on this baby box.

Private and discrete locations are important when deciding where these boxes should be placed, which is why Fire Station 1 was chosen.

"Station 1 is set in more of a residential private area, it’s not in major streets. So this type of system when someone is looking at putting their baby in these boxes we want to keep it as private as possible and we’ve identified Fire Station 1 as that location," said Barry Young, Hobbs Fire Chief.

Once the box is installed, when someone drops a baby off an alarm will sound. Dispatch then alerts firefighters and the rest is in their hands.  

"We’ll take the baby and do what we need to do to ensure that it’s taken care of, get it to the hospital and let the process play out from there," said Chief Young.

With the baby box being placed here, it could save multiple lives. 

"Definitely a complete game changer for the city. Knowing that there’s something available to those mothers, to those parents, that if it’s needed it’s needed and it’s okay if you have to. It’s going to be taken care of. If there’s one baby that’s saved because of the baby box then that’s definitely a win," said Chief Young. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out