In December 2007 the San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution authorizing fire stations that are staffed full time to be designated as Safe Haven Sites.  Last year, The San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association voted unanimously to make all fire stations that are staffed full time Safe Haven Sites under the Safely Surrendered Baby Law. 

All designated  fire stations will display the Safe Haven Site sign and a smaller sign with instructions in case the firefighters are not in quarters. The smaller signs are being produced by Cal Fire Norco Conservation Camp.   The fire stations in San Diego County that are not designated Safe Haven Sites will display a sign indication such as well as the CWS information number.  For more information about the Safely Surrendered Baby program designating Fire Stations as Safe Haven Sites, click here.

The target date for Countywide implementation is April 14, 2008.  We would like ALL Fire Departments to be on board by this date.  In order to accomplish this, there are four things all Fire Departments must do:

1. You must have your governing body (District Board, City Council, etc) officially designate your fire stations as Safe Haven Sites.  In most cases this requires a resolution to be voted on and passed. The following links will take you to template documents in MS Word 2003 format that can be used or modified for your use:

Staff Report Template
 

Resolution Template

2. You need to buy the Safely Surrendered Baby Kits and Station Signs.  We have an agreement with Ink Impressions that includes a volume discount.  The kits contain ID bracelets for the baby and parent, a postage paid envelope, information sheets for the parent, a medical questionnaire, and an instruction sheet for the firefighters.  All kit documents are labeled with a unique confidential code number that matches the ID bracelets.  The kits are $4 each and the 18" x 20" reflective aluminum signs are $18.50 each.  You should order two kits per fire station and a reserve supply of 5-20 for your department.  You must order one sign per station.  The only other cost will be tax and shipping.  Use the Ink Impressions order form to pay with checks or a purchase order, or simply call the toll free number and order the materials with a credit card.
   
   Ink Impressions Order Form
   
   You will also need a small sign that fits under the Safe Haven Sign that provides instructions in case the Firefighters are not in quarters. There is a sign (SIGN A) for stations with a phone that connects directly with dispatch and a sign (SIGN B) for stations without a phone.  If you do not have a phone, the sign will include the fire station location for cell phone users. Both signs are available in English and Spanish.  Please use the Norco Camp Sign Order Form to order the signs for your stations.

   Norco Camp Order Form
   
   NOTE: If your Department will not be designating its fire stations as Safe Haven Sites, please order the appropriate sign (SIGN C) from Norco Camp using the Norco Camp Sign Order Form.  This sign is available in English and Spanish.

    If your Department has a financial hardship, the San Diego County Fire Chief's Association may pay for the sign upon request.
    

3. You need to adopt the procedures for accepting an infant under the Safely Surrendered Baby law into your Department's policy.  The following document is a policy template in MS Word 2003 format that can be used as is or modified for your Department's format.
   
   Safely Surrendered Baby Policy Template
    
4. You will need to train your personnel.  A 10-minute DVD has been produced and distributed to all Fire Departments.  You should have received one DVD per fire station in your department.

You can also view the Training Video by clicking here (62 MB) to open or download the .wmv file.

The process of implementation is not difficult, but there are time constraints. The key is to get started early.  If you have any questions along the way, contact San Marcos Battalion Chief Rick Vogt (760 744-1050 x 3410) or Escondido Fire Chief Vic Reed (760- 839-5400).  We would be happy to help!

For a list of each Fire Department and their progress toward implementation, click here