Fire officials lauded the decision to put the baby girl, who they said was about one hour old, wrapped in a gray hoodie and with a few inches of her umbilical cord still attached, in the box, a move that likely saved the infant's life.

"I would really like to thank the mother who did this, for doing the right thing," said Assistant Chief Warren Smith, who lobbied the department for the box, which was installed April 28, 2016. "This just happens to be a story that turned out really well."

Fire officials said Tuesday night marked the first time an infant has been left in one of the boxes.

According to the Safe Haven Baby Boxes website, there are two such boxes in Indiana. The second box is at the fire department in Woodburn; no other locations are listed on the website. Under the state's Save Haven Law a person can anonymously give up an unwanted infant less than 30 days old at a police station, fire department or hospital without fear of arrest or prosecution.

Executive Director Tom Fay said Wednesday the current Tumalo Station is too small. It can't accommodate both men and women, and it does not meet safety standards. The station was last rebuilt in 1998. 

The district, which contracts with Bend Fire for service outside the city, has been saving money for both stations for close to 20 years, but these are early plans that are subject to change before construction could begin. 

The station near Pilot Butte would have a brick exterior and an area the police can use for training, and would look like a traditional fire station. 

The fire truck and the academy are a result of a partnership between CHCCS’s Career and Technical Education Department, the Chapel Hill Fire Department and Durham Tech Community College. Students can attend firefighting classes starting their sophomore year and earn credit toward an associate’s degree along with a certification.  

Superintendent Pam Baldwin said she believes the fire truck will be instrumental in providing students with first-hand career technical experience.  

“In education circles, we always talk about how important career technical education is for our students,” said Baldwin. “We talk about it all the time because we know how important it is for our students to have real experiences and to find their passion.”

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