TROY, Ohio (WKEF) -- The Troy Fire Department is calling on the Ohio Department of Health for a face-to-face meeting. This follows a citizen complaint, that the fire department's Safe Haven Baby Box, is not in compliance with the Ohio Department of Health, The Ohio Revised Code, and The Ohio Administrative Code. Although, according to documents Dayton 24/7 Now obtained, ODH already deemed the newborn baby incubator operational, June 27 of this year.
Some Ohio parents find themselves in a difficult situation whether to keep their newborn.
“We all remember that when building this new station, we wanted to try to incorporate that safe haven baby box concept,” said Chief Matthew Simmons, Troy Fire Department.
This safe haven baby box was built in honor of Troy firefighter, 38-year-old Jason Holfinger, who suddenly passed away in 2018. He brought the concept to Troy Fire Chief Matthew Simmons 6-months before his death.
“In the event, they don’t want have the child this provides an option and it’s better than a cardboard box in front of our doors that we may not know is there until we check maybe in the morning or something,” said Simmons,
24 hours a day a new parent who doesn't want the baby can safely put the baby in the newborn incubator that's temperature controlled and has proper airflow. Once this lever is opened, 911 is called. Responding emergency personnel or firefighters come to the location and take the baby to the closest hospital.
Under Ohio's Safe Haven Law, parents can surrender a newborn baby until it's 30 days old. This box makes that possible and anonymous.
“90% of all surrenders via a baby box are happening at firehouses,” said Monica Kelsey, Founder and CEO, Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
However, organizers and Ohio fire departments fear the 7 Safe Haven Baby Boxes across Ohio might go out of service, due to a citizen complaint. This complaint launched an Ohio Department of Health investigation. Troy fire was sent a letter on September 2nd from ODH requesting additional information regarding compliance requirements. Even though, ODH sent a previous letter on June 27th, which registered the newborn incubator under the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Revised Code, and the Ohio Administrative Code. The state treasurer also accepted the registration fee of $500 dollars from the Troy Fire Department.
“Pretty black-and-white questions, "said Simmons. “They weren’t very expensive. Number one is the box on an exterior wall. We believe that it is. We had comments from our chief building official from Miami County that in his opinion, it’s an exterior wall.”
Also, in question by ODH, is if the newborn safety incubator is monitored by security cameras.
“We do not have security footage that captures any of that sidewalk that you walk up into,” Simmons said. “We do have one in the inside of the building that points away and you are not able to capture mother or anybody actually opening it up.”
Simmons has repeatedly reached out to legislators and the Ohio Department of Health to settle this issue once and for all, but there's only been silence.
“We’d like it to be a little more face-to-face conversation and we welcome the state of Ohio to come to our fire station and sit and talk with us,” Simmons added. “What do we need to do to get us compliant to be able to provide what we feel could be a life-saving tool to our community.”
Another citizen concern ODH is questioning according to Ohio Revised Code, is that there needs to be someone waiting on the other side of the baby box 24 hours a day. Troy fire designed their new station to have a switch that flips on when they go to emergency calls. The switch locks the door so babies can't be dropped off until someone is present. However, on the other end to this argument, even if Troy fire left the door unlocked, once someone pulls the baby box lever, help will be there in less than two minutes.
We have reached out to the Ohio Department of Health with a list of questions regarding this situation, as well as asking why the department has not agreed to come to the Troy Fire Department and meet with the chief and we are still waiting to hear back.