RESOLUTION NO. _____________

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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RESOLUTION DESIGNATING OF FIRE STATIONS WITHIN THE CITIES AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS IN SAN MATEO COUNTY AS NEWBORN SAFE SURRENDER SITES

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RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, that

WHEREAS, each year across the country many unwanted babies are abandoned and left to die; and

WHEREAS, the California Safely Surrendered Baby law contained in Health and Safety Code Section 1255.7 was signed into law by Governor Davis in September 2000; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of this law is to allow a parent or person with lawful custody to bring an unwanted baby to a safe surrender site without prosecution for child abandonment; and

WHEREAS, over sixty infants have been safely surrendered in California since passage of the California Safely Surrendered Baby law; and

WHEREAS, some California counties have designated local fire stations as “safe surrender” sites; and

WHEREAS, cities located in San Mateo County which have fire departments and fire protection districts located within San Mateo County have indicated their willingness have their fire stations be designated at “safe surrender” sites; and

WHEREAS, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protect/San Mateo County Fire Department (CDF) has indicated its willingness for its fire stations that are staffed 24 hours/7 days a week to be “safe surrender sites,” effective upon adoption of this Resolution through January 1, 2006; and

WHEREAS, the Board believes that local fire stations would be appropriate locations for such safe surrender sites; and

WHEREAS, Section 1255.7 of the Health and Safety Code specifies that a County Board of Supervisors may designate locations as a newborn “safe surrender site”;

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY DETERMINED AND ORDERED that the President of the Board of Supervisors is hereby authorized and directed to designate as Newborn Safe Surrender Sites, in accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 1255.7, all fire stations located in cities and unincorporated areas in San Mateo County except the California Department of Forestry fire stations La Honda, Kings Mountain, and Loma Mar.

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