March 17-23 is Safe Place Awareness Week. Safe Places are locations where distressed, unable or unwilling parents can drop off their child without consequences.
Each of Horry County’s career fire stations is a Safe Place, marked with a yellow triangle sticker on the door.
The process is anonymous and officials say this system is in place so no parent abandons their child in an unsafe location.
Authorities tell News13, this option is only for infants and young children. Parents who choose to give up custody of their child will not face consequences unless the child is found with signs of abuse.
“Unfortunately, our first responders have seen the opposite, where children have been abandoned,” Spokesman for Horry County Fire Rescue, Tony Casey said. “This is the safest way to do that if you do come into contact with a situation where you need to drop off a child.”