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A newborn baby was found dead in a Phoenix garbage bin Tuesday — the same day Gov. Janet Napolitano declared Safe Baby Day.

A person going through the trash in West Phoenix found the baby girl, who did not appear to be full term.

The discovery prompted Southwest Ambulance to make an announcement that all of its 200 ambulances statewide should be considered Safe Baby drop-off locations where mothers can hand over their babies within 72 hours of birth, just as at a hospital, fire station or any other safe-haven provider.

The law, which was passed in 2001, allows parents to leave an unharmed baby with a provider without the fear of being arrested or having their identity revealed, according to news release from Southwest Ambulance.

"If a mother is unwilling or unable to care for a child, she can walk into a hospital or fire station and hand over her child," said Josh Weiss, a spokesman for Southwest Ambulance. "The goal is to prevent what happened in Phoenix today."

Weiss said this kind of incident occurs when a mother is hiding her pregnancy and when she gives birth, she does not know what to do.

"They try to get rid of the baby, literally," he said. "We hope that if more people are aware of the program, instead of throwing a baby away, they will walk into a hospital or up to one of our ambulances."

The announcement by Southwest Ambulance was planned for next week, Weiss said. But with the discovery of the baby, Southwest felt the public should not wait to learn that there is another resource to consider.

If people plan on leaving a baby at an ambulance, they must physically hand it to a uniformed worker, such as an EMT or paramedic, Weiss said. You cannot just leave the baby outside the ambulance.

There are more than 50 Southwest ambulances in Pima County, Weiss said.

Other Tucson locations that will accept a baby 24 hours a day, seven days a week, include:

● Casa de los Niños, 1138 N. Fifth Ave.

● El Dorado Hospital, 1400 N. Wilmot Road.

● UPH Hospital at Kino Campus, 2800 E. Ajo Way.

● Women's Center at Northwest Medical Center, 1920 W. Rudasill Road.

● Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital, 350 N. Wilmot Road.

● Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital, 1601 W. St. Mary's Road.

● Tucson Medical Center, 5301 E. Grant Road.

● University Medical Center, 1501 N. Campbell Ave.