Q. Troy, could you tell us how the call came in?
A. We were dispatched for an imminent child birth medical call. These are not usual emergencies for first responders, as this typically happens in a medical facility and not at home.
Q. What were you doing when you got the call?
A. I was just walking out of my house to head to an LMCIT Loss Control Workshop. I quickly made a call to my supervisor and let them know I was going to be late, and I headed toward the fire station.
Q. What was happening when you got there?
A. While we were en route with our rescue truck, we received a message from dispatch that the baby had been delivered, and we were instructed to continue to the scene. When we arrived, the newly born baby was in good hands with law enforcement and other fire department staff who were already on scene. We attended to the mother to ensure she was doing well and also assisted the paramedics with care of the newborn. A paramedic and I helped “swaddle” the baby in its first piece of clothing as the law enforcement officers assisted with care of the newborn. Because we now had two patients—mom and baby—the paramedics asked if someone from the fire department could ride with them to the hospital to assist with caring for the newborn. I volunteered for that spot immediately! I was the second person to hold this precious package and was able to attend to him for the entire ride to the hospital.
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| LMCIT Field Consultant Troy Walsh |
A. Baby delivery calls are not a common call for us. In my 20+ years as a first responder, I have been dispatched to three other child birth calls—but luckily enough they were all delivered at the hospital instead of at home. Being a first responder, we are present at times when people leave this world, and that is always tough to deal with and experience. It is almost every first responder’s dream to be a part of someone entering the world. Most EMS calls involve sadness and fear, but ones like this are all smiles, and that is amazing to see!
Q. Tell us about the stork pin.
A. Once we were at the hospital, we turned the care of mom and baby over to the nursing staff. I helped the paramedics get their equipment put back together and waited for my ride back to the station. I was approached by the EMS administrative staff, and they asked if I helped care for the newborn baby this morning on the way to the hospital. I of course said yes, and they asked me to put out my hand. They gave me a stork pin for my work on the call. This was the very first stork pin that I have ever received, and I was completely surprised, as I didn’t help with the delivery. The EMS staff told me that there are important roles on every EMS call, and I had the most important role! The stork pin is usually given to someone that helps with the delivery of a baby. This is a tradition in the EMS world and is typically given by the EMS provider.
Q. Wow, what an experience. Do you have any final thoughts on the call?
A. I have had 20 years of training for this type of incident, and the training definitely was helpful in keeping me calm. This will be a call that I will never forget!
Troy, thanks for sharing your experience—and congratulations.
Up next: June is PTSD Awareness Month
Stay safe,
Rob
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