Resident urges Sunbury to consider safe-haven baby box to provide anonymous surrender option

During public comment, Amanda Pringle, a lifelong Sunbury resident and mother of two, urged the council to consider installing a safe-haven baby box to provide a fully anonymous and legal option for parents who wish to safely surrender newborns.

Pringle described how safe-haven baby boxes operate: an exterior door opens to allow placement of an infant into a temperature-controlled bassinet; sensors trigger a silent alarm to 911 dispatch and an interior door enables staff to retrieve the newborn for medical evaluation. She said the system is installed on a firehouse or hospital exterior and operates under each state's safe-haven statutes.

Pringle provided an estimated cost breakdown from materials and vendors she had researched, saying the total equipment and installation costs could run in the mid-to-high tens of thousands of dollars and that annual maintenance and recertification fees could range from a few hundred dollars to several hundred dollars. She offered to share handouts with detailed cost estimates and asked the council for support and consideration.

Council members did not take immediate action during the meeting; Pringle requested the handouts be collected at the end of the meeting. The council did not state a specific next step or funding source for pursuing the proposal during the public-comment period.

The safe-haven box proposal is a public-safety and social-services matter that would require coordination with a host facility (a firehouse or hospital), compliance with applicable state safe-haven statutes, installation, staff training, and budget approval if the council decides to pursue the idea.