The Orange County Grand Jury recommended Monday that the county align itself with its neighbors to designate fire stations as a surrender point for unwanted babies.
Orange County has 137 fire stations, compared with 32 hospital emergency rooms, the county's current havens for unwanted infants. In its report, "Into Safe Arms," the grand jury argued that fire stations are a safer, friendlier, more convenient alternative to emergency rooms.
Under California's Safe Arms for Newborns Act, babies as old as 3 days can be left -- no questions asked -- at state-designated hospital emergency rooms and other county-designated areas.
Last year, three babies were dropped off at hospitals in Orange County. In Los Angeles County, 10 babies were safely surrendered last year but 13 were simply abandoned, eight of whom died, according to county statistics. Figures for abandoned infants in Orange County were not available.
