Call of the Quarter
Summer 1998

On August 5th, 1998 at 11:17 pm, when the sleepy little town of Glasgow was settling in, there was a high pitch tone going off on the pagers: "Attention all Glasgow Rescue Squad members you are needed for a 17 year old female in labor". As the members were hurriedly putting their jumpsuits on, again the high pitch tones went off, "Attention all Glasgow Rescue Squad members, you are needed for a 17-year-old female in labor, be advised the baby's head is showing".

Squad member Jimmy Smith was at the rescue squad building when the tones had went off and was in the process of pulling out Unit 49 to respond. EMT Lisa Rogers arrived at the squad building and Unit 49 checked out at 11:20 pm in route to the scene. EMT Roger Funkhouser radioed Unit 49 stating he was 2 blocks from the squad building and was picked up in route. EMT-CT Danny Smith was leaving work in the emergency room at Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Lexington and radioed that he would be responding to the scene.

Unit 49 radioed dispatch and asked for better directions because of the rural area that this call was in. Dispatch stated that the mother or the grandmother would be at the driveway of the residence to flag the unit down.

Unit 49 arrived at the scene at 11:24 pm, directly behind CT-Smith. CT-Smith entered the house through the backdoor and found the 17 year old female standing in the kitchen. She was panicking and in obvious pain. She told Smith that the baby's head was showing. CT-Smith lowered the female to the floor as a precaution and to examine the patient. Upon examination the baby's head was in fact showing. It was determined that the baby would be delivered there in the kitchen whether we wanted to or not.

EMT-Rogers and EMT-Funkhouser entered the kitchen with the OB kit and preparations were started. CT-Smith started coaxing the young mother. EMT-Larry Mayo and member Chrystal Bishop arrived at the scene. The baby's head had fully crowned. A pillow was placed behind the young mothers head.

Members were on both sides assisting with contractions. The young mother was calmed down and told what to do with each contraction. I believe that all the members at that time were also feeling the contractions and pushing with the mother. The mother started doing beautifully. She settled down and started pushing. After about 10 minutes the baby's head was finally out. The mother continued to push and the baby was born at 11:50 pm. We had a beautiful baby girl.

Suctioning was done and the baby took its first breath. Stonewall Jackson Hospital was contacted and details were given. The mother was doing fine. The cord was cut and the baby was placed on the mother's stomach. The apgar was at this time an 8. The baby was wrapped in sterile cloth and again wrapped in blankets to maintain body heat. The heater in Unit 49 had been turned up to high and the baby was taken by EMT- Rogers and EMT-Funkhouser to the unit for assessment and warmth. The baby girl was cleaned and wrapped in dry sterile cloth. She started trying to suck on her fingers and hand. she kept her eyes open. Oxygen was administered by blow by. The baby's apgar now was 9.

The mother was transported to the ambulance to join the new baby. The mother stated that she had been to the hospital for false labor before and that is all she thought this was. She only had lower back pain and nothing else. she went to the restroom and felt the baby's head, she told her mother and she in return called 911.

Both patients did extremely well in route to the Stonewall Jackson Hospital and was taken to the OB ward where nurses were waiting for us. Several of the family members were already waiting at the hospital for our arrival. Everyone was delighted.

All the members in the unit were glad to get some cool air after being in the unit with the heat on full blast in route. The grandmother thanked the members for all they did. When asked what happened to her during the delivery she stated that she stayed outside. After a few laughs now that it was all over the members again checked on the mother and baby. We all had a special connection with this baby girl. The truck was stocked after all the paper work was done and the unit returned to headquarters. Several of the members checked on the patients the next day and they were released after a two day hospital stay. The grandmother contacted the local newspaper and a story was done.

The mother was asked how she felt with all the people there in her kitchen, she stated that she was in so much pain that she didn't care, everyone was so nice and cheering me on.

The squad answered quickly and did what had to be done. Both the mother and child were our heroes on this call, they did an excellent job.

--  Written By:    Lisa Rogers

The Crew poses with the new family