By Zareen Syed
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO 鈥� On Wednesday鈥檚 episode of NBC鈥檚 鈥淐hicago Fire,鈥� a storyline involving an infant safe surrender box sounded the alarm for both the Chicago Fire Department and an advocate for abandoned children, who called the plot 鈥渕isleading.鈥�
In a scene from the most recent Season 11 episode, the character Sylvie Brett, a paramedic, opens up a delivery containing a large temperature-controlled device, and explains it as 鈥渁 place for people to safely and anonymously drop their newborns under the state safe haven statute.鈥�
Although Illinois has had a Safe Haven Law for newborns since 2001, it does not have a baby box system like other states such as Indiana. Illinois requires that babies who are surrendered are handed over to a person.
鈥淭he scene concerns us because it鈥檚 not realistic. We just don鈥檛 do that here. The law is not written that way,鈥� Larry Langford, spokesman for the Fire Department said Friday. 鈥淎nd we understand that a lot of the TV show is fictionalized and it鈥檚 loosely based on us. But we prefer they not do something that may cause someone to misunderstand, misinterpret and do something that might be detrimental to an infant.鈥�
The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, also referred to as the Safe Haven Law, gives the families of newborns legal protection from prosecution if they bring a child to a police station, firehouse or hospital. And the law states that an unharmed baby up to 30 days old can be turned over to a staff member at a safe haven location. Mothers or family members handing over a baby to someone aren鈥檛 required to answer any questions and can remain anonymous.
Dawn Geras, an executive chairperson for the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation, a Chicago nonprofit instrumental in getting the Safe Haven Law passed in Illinois, said the law works as it鈥檚 written, but the 鈥淐hicago Fire鈥� episode might mistakenly lead a mother to a firehouse looking for a baby box.
鈥淚t鈥檚 wrong and misleading, and I don鈥檛 know what kind of consequences that will bring,鈥� Geras said. 鈥淭here are a lot of people that watch the show. What are they going to do when they don鈥檛 find a box?鈥�
There are several reasons why baby boxes are 鈥渧ehemently opposed鈥� by the , Geras said. For one, the interaction between a mother and another human at a safe haven location could lead to a number of support services, she said.
鈥淭ypically a fireman or a nurse will see a woman in distress and they鈥檙e going to say, 鈥榃ould you like help?鈥� And in almost 30% of the cases, the moms accept help, be it medical help or counseling,鈥� Geras said. 鈥淕iven that supportive service, they can also choose to make a parenting plan or make a traditional adoption plan.鈥�
Langford said all firehouses in Chicago have safe haven signs, with additional signage to indicate that personnel should be present when a person hands over a baby.
Citing a case from 2022 when a baby was found dead in a duffel bag on Orleans Street near a firehouse door, Langford said some firehouses are not staffed 24 hours a day. And in , they don鈥檛 know whether someone tried to ring the doorbell first.
He said someone recently tried to leave a child at the back door of a firehouse on the Southwest Side and slip away, but one of the firefighters saw the incident through the window.
Most of the time, the back doors are unattended or seldom used for entry, Langford said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 possible you could leave a child there and we wouldn鈥檛 even know it,鈥� he said.
Langford and Geras fear people might assume the events of the 鈥淐hicago Fire鈥� episode are based in reality.
鈥溾�楥hicago Fire鈥� is shot at an actual firehouse and a lot of people know where that is. And I can鈥檛 think for anyone, but someone might think, 鈥極h yeah, that firehouse on Blue Island where they shoot the show has a baby box now,鈥欌�� Langford said. 鈥淵ou might say that鈥檚 a stretch for someone to think that, but you don鈥檛 know what people think. We鈥檙e just better off not having this situation at all.鈥�
NBC could not be reached for comment.
For information regarding the Safe Haven Law or for help, call 888-510-2229.
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