California Firefighters, Baby Reunited

It had only happened a couple of times before – a young parent holding a newborn baby, showing up at a Garden Grove fire station.

And when it happened just after Christmas 2013, the on-duty firefighters – Capt. Tony Acosta, firefighter Ryan Van Wie and engineer Joe Crawford – accepted the young boy, no questions asked.

The child, Caleb, was quickly adopted by loving parents. On Sunday, he got the chance to meet the men from Fire Station 6 who took him in a year ago.

Caleb, whose parents asked that their last name not be released, is one of about 700 newborns who have been surrendered to fire departments throughout California since January 2001. That’s when the state enacted the Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which allows biological parents to drop off children within 72 hours of birth. The law was created to save babies from abandonment.

“We don’t see it often,” Capt. Thanh Nguyen of the Garden Grove Fire Department said. “So when it happens, it’s worth sharing.”

The most common safe-surrender sites are hospitals and fire stations, though each county decides on specific locations. In Orange County, besides hospitals and fire stations, babies may also be dropped off at Orangewood Children’s Home at 401 The City Drive, Orange.

The night Caleb arrived at Fire Station 6, the firefighters evaluated him and then took him to Garden Grove Hospital, where doctors did a more detailed check-up. He weighed less than 5 pounds.

Kimberly and Christopher, who foster children, received a call about taking in Caleb and he went home with them on Jan. 8. They officially adopted him in October.

“Needless to say,” Kimberly said, “we have been blessed beyond belief.”



714-704-3707 or chaire@ocregister.com