JESSUP, Pa. — Dispatchers at the Lackawanna County 9-1-1 center received many emergency calls this past weekend, but there was one call that dispatcher Melissa Rawlings didn't expect. Early Sunday morning, she answered the call about a mother in active labor in Greenfield Township, a first in Rawlings' eight years as a dispatcher.
Rawlings says it was a nerve-wracking call, and she needed to keep everyone calm until help arrived.
"We usually have some sort of time updates, but it's not always 100% accurate, especially with the roads being the way they were. I could say two minutes, five minutes, and it could really be 20 because of the way the roads were and what they could run into," said Rawlings.
Several paramedics were already on the way, including Emily Whitelavich. She and her partner had a tough time getting to the home near Carbondale but had some help.
"The township department got right through, they plowed it right up for us. It was nice," Whitelavich said.
Back at the 9-1-1 center in Jessup, Rawlings flagged down her supervisor Pat Gillott. He has experience as a paramedic to help explain what they needed to do in case the ambulance crew didn't get there in time.
"You're trying to make sure that they have stuff to tie off the cord. We had to instruct them to get a shoelace to tie off the cord," Gillott said.
And good thing they were prepared. At 3:54 am, minutes before paramedics arrived, the sound of crying was heard over the phone.
"Confirmed that it was the baby, and the baby was breathing, and it was a girl. They were all super happy, and her name is Riley," said Rawlings.
"I walked in, and Mom was smiling, and that made me smile. The baby was sleeping on her chest. It was I guess magical," Whitelavich said.
Each first responder also received a special stork pin for helping deliver the baby under not-so-ideal conditions.
"I'm going to remember it forever. It was the most special thing that could have happened," said Whitelavich.
These first responders hope to catch up with the family in the near future.