HANCEVILLE – Thursday was a less-than-usual day for three of Hanceville’s firefighters, as they were called on to make a special delivery in town. For the first time in years, the Hanceville Fire Rescue (HFR) assisted in the birth of a baby.
At 7:22 a.m., the fire department received a call about a woman in labor at a location off Highway 31 at the north end of Hanceville. Britt Banks, Bradley Jones and Brennen Stricklin responded to the scene.
Assistant Chief Bart Absher explained, “Everything went well. Cullman EMS was on the scene and, as they were loading mom into the ambulance, the baby decided to come on out, come into the world. So they paused what they were doing and helped her, and got the baby, and made the announcement on the radio, because that’s typical policy–to say that now you’ve got two patients.”
From first call to delivery, the entire event only took about 15 minutes.
Absher continued, “Mom and baby boy were transported to Regional (Cullman Regional), and everything was healthy–baby was healthy and mom was doing well when they left her at the hospital, in the care of the ER.”
According to the assistant chief, firefighters receive training in childbirth during basic EMT courses, and review the material at each level as they advance. They also receive periodic refresher classes.
“So it wasn’t a shock,” said Absher, “it’s just the fact that it actually happened in the field. Usually it’s ‘load, grab, go, get ‘em to the hospital,’ and they deliver at the hospital. It’s a rarity to do it out in the field.
“They did an absolute great job on the call, as always. They do a great job on all their calls. They always act professionally, and mitigate the situation with the utmost responsibility and training. They do a good job on everything they do.”
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