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Newborn Abandoned at Fire Station, Firefighters Lucky they Noticed

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Although there is a state law that allows parents to legally surrender a newborn baby, there are proper ways to do it and not do it. Last Friday, firefighters in Norwalk returned from an emergency call when "observant crew members" spotted him. "Most abandoned babies are never found alive," noted a news release from the LA County Fire Department.The Caucasian male baby, thought to be only four to eight hours old, was luckily in good health before sending him off to a hospital.

The fire department explains that this potentially deadly situation could have been avoided under the Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which allows parents or adults with legal custody to confidentially hand over an unwanted newborn within 72 hours of birth to any fire station or hospital as long as the baby shows no signs of abuse or neglect. 75 babies have been surrendered in L.A. County under the law since 2002.

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