North Bellmore F.D. promotes 'safe havens' for infants

The state Senate passed the Abandoned Infant Protection Act in 2000, allowing people to legally and safely give up their babies at police precincts, firehouses, hospitals and churches with no questions asked. But despite the safe-haven law, many infants are still being abandoned at unsafe locations, often exposed to the elements. Some die.

The trouble, officials say, is that many people are still unaware of the law. On Feb. 17 in Mineola, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano joined Timothy Jaccard, president of the Ambulance Medical Technician Children of Hope Foundation, to announce that ambulances would being sporting signs promoting awareness of safe havens, starting with the North Bellmore Fire Department.

"The safe-haven law provides a safe alternative for mothers who are frightened and feel they have nowhere else to turn," Mangano said. "The message is simple: If you truly feel that you cannot care for your baby, you have options. Find a safe-haven location and put your baby into safe and caring arms."

North Bellmore's two ambulances will now bear decals that read "safe baby - safe place - safe haven." Chief Randy Meirdierks said the decals were put on the ambulances last week. "It's to get the message out there ... It's to prevent babies from being abandoned," Meirdierks said.

The North Bellmore department jumped on the initiative because former chief Timothy Green is active with the AMT Children of Hope Foundation. Meirdierks said the department wants expectant mothers to be aware that they have a safe place to turn to.

"It's really to let the public know that the fire department is a safe haven ...," he said. "We want people to be aware that it's out there. It's been a law, but people didn't really know about it."

In addition to the North Bellmore department, the Nassau County Police Department, Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, the Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Life Star Ambulance Inc. have put the decals on their ambulances.

The announcement of the decal program came after an abandoned and lifeless infant was found in the Yaphank Recycling Center in January. By putting decals on as many ambulances as possible, officials said, they hope people will be more aware of their options.

"The goal of this awareness campaign is to prevent the loss of innocent lives," Jaccard said.

A paramedic with the NCPD, Jaccard founded the AMT Children of Hope Foundation in 1998 after discovering several abandoned and dead infants on the job. The foundation provides burials for the children, as well as an emergency hotline for desperate mothers, (877) 796-HOPE (4637).

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