NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Firefighters in Nicholasville want to raise enough money for a safe haven baby box at one of their stations and they're asking for the community's help to make it happen.
There are more than 150 "safe haven" baby boxes at sites located across the country and the Nicholasville Fire Department wants to become the next site.
"I hate to see any harm, or anything happen to a child. And this gives parents the option to surrender their child," said Deputy Chief Josh Bolton.
A safe haven baby box allows parents in crisis to safely and anonymously surrender their child.
There are multiple locations around Louisville and one in Corbin.
But Deputy Chief Bolton says this would be the first and only safe haven baby box in central Kentucky.
The department is now raising $16,000, which is the amount of money it will cost to buy and install the box and alarm system at Station #4.
"It beats the alternative of heaven forbid a child being placed in the dumpster, or something like that, which unfortunately has happened in the past. Just would like to get to the point where something like that never happens again," said Bolton.
While this would be the first baby box in the Bluegrass, firefighters hope it's not the last.
