Two fire crews in Reno and Carson City earned their storks this week, delivering healthy baby boys back-to-back.
Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon said his department received a childbirth callout Monday night. Sure enough, when the crew arrived, the baby's head was already showing.
Tuesday morning, a crew in Reno walked into a similar scene. Captain Travis Bertrand said he and his team didn't realize they'd actually be delivering a baby until they found the mother upstairs in labor.
Both Slamon and Bertrand said firefighter baby deliveries are a rarity in Northern Nevada.
"It's not uncommon for us to get called out for a pregnancy, but usually they're in labor at that point and we either transport or have them self-transport depending on several circumstances," Slamon told 2 News on Thursday. "It is fairly rare to actually deliver either at the home or in the ambulance."
Firefighters in both cities do have the training and tools to deliver babies.
Bertrand said that he was lucky enough to have a full team of paramedics Tuesday morning, and every Reno fire rig is equipped to provide advanced life support. But it's not just the newborn who's in good hands.
Once crews deliver the baby, "Now we have two patients," Bertrand said. "The mom's still a patient. Our training also goes along with the mom, trying to make sure she's still healthy."
Bertrand said in 15 years with Reno Fire, he can count on one hand the number of times he's been on a crew that has delivered a baby.
"If somebody calls 911, it's typically not a good day, so to be a part of this, to introduce a child into this world, it's pretty special for us," he said.
Chief Slamon has delivered several babies over the course of his career. He said it's nerve-wracking but unforgettable. After his team delivered healthy baby Pierce on Monday, he went back and listened to the dispatch audio.
"To listen to our crews come in very calm and take control of the scene and really set mom and the baby up for success, it's truly a pleasure to listen to that," he said. "We absolutely have the best paramedics around, and we're very proud."
Bertrand added playfully that baby delivery services are a great recruitment strategy.
"This will always be in my memory bank," he said. "Hopefully I can meet him again one day ... in 18 years when he wants to join the fire department."
