‘I was nervous’: Firefighter says mother handed over newborn to him in Houston area under Baby Moses Law

SPRING, Texas – Nearly four years ago, a Spring firefighter detailed the day a woman came to the fire station and handed him her newborn baby under the Baby Moses Law.

KPRC 2 reporter Brittany Jeffers spoke with Fire Station 71 in Spring, firefighter John Nanninga talked about the encounter.

“I was nervous cause I haven’t been through that situation yet and everything. We were just as nervous as the mother is but now we are dedicated to that baby,” Nanninga said. “We’re out in service and going to take care of the child and make sure that they’re taken care of and the process of the steps we’re taking and so as much information as the mother is willing to give us, we’re gonna take from her and then she can go about her way. We’re going to take care of the child and make sure the child is taken care of.”

So, what does the process look like?

It is a serious decision but, if a parent finds themselves in a situation where they have a newborn they are unable to care for, they can bring them to a designated safe place. The Safe Haven Law, also known as the Baby Moses Law, gives parents who are unable to care for their child a safe and legal choice to leave their infant with an employee at a designated safe place like a hospital or fire station.

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Nanninga said you can go to any hospital, EMS station, or fire station that has a Safe Haven sign. If you have an infant and cannot care for them, he said it starts with ringing the bell and waiting for the firefighters to come out.

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Following a medical evaluation, the baby will be placed with an emergency provider.

It is important to note that if you leave your unharmed infant at a Safe Haven, you will not be prosecuted for abandonment or neglect.

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But, unfortunately, not all babies will meet the requirement for this law.

Here are the Baby Moses qualifications

• Your baby must be 60 days old or younger and unharmed and safe.
• You may take your baby to eligible hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services (EMS) station in Texas.
• You need to give your baby to an employee who works at one of these safe places and tell this person that you want to leave your baby at a Safe Haven.
• You may be asked by an employee for family or medical history to make sure that your baby receives the care they need.

For additional details, go to the Baby Moses Project or call the Texas Baby Moses Hotline at 1-877-904-SAVE (1-877-904-7283).

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