Firefighter delivers baby

[Richard B the EMT]

Phony News Item:

At yesterday's single vehicle crash at South 200th street and East Northern Blvd, Sparkle Farkle, of 1966 to 1970s TV show"Laugh In" fame, held a large orange umbrella over responding police, fire and EMS rescue personnel then in the progress of extricating the vehicle driver, Emily Latella, from the wrecked car. Due to the heroic efforts of Ms Farkle, the rescuers and Ms Latella remained dry from the rainstorm then in progress.

In an unrelated story, Sue Simmons, of the News 4 New York evening newscasts on WNBC TV 4, went another broadcast without dropping either another verbal "F-Bomb", or her martini

[Dustdevil]

Quit your beotching and grow up. Who cares who gets the credit. If thats what you are worried about you might be in the wrong business.

Okay, so what if we were talking about money instead of "credit"? What if the news media got paid for your work because they showed up to photograph it? Everytime the media covers your fire, they get your shift's pay instead of you. Would you care?

Same situation. The only difference is the commodity.

[firedoc5]

I'm not intending to read all the posts, whether positive or negative about the performance by fire fighter and/ or medics. There are those of us who do/ did both and proud of it. I was a Paramedic before becoming a Firefighter. When people asked me why I did both I told them that my heart was in EMS but the fire fighting I did for kicks & giggles. And when the opportunity came where I could do both professionally I couldn't pass it up. But I can see there be a riff between EMS and non-EMS firefighters. But there shouldn't be any if the fire fighter is also at least an EMT. And most Fire Depts. you are required to do both.

And actually, it is news if someone who is not trained to deliver babies does so. As medics it's expected of us and public knowledge they think it's old hat and that we do it all the time, when in fact some medics never have done it. So to the public it's no big deal if a medic does it.

(off my soap box)

The last baby I delivered was very early on Labor Day morning. It almost ruined my tee time for a golf scramble I was drafted into. Some people asked me where the baby was born and told them at home on the couch. And they were like, "EEWWW" they'll need to get a new couch." I told them nope, it just matched the rest of the furniture.

[HellsBells]

And actually, it is news if someone who is not trained to deliver babies does so.

I agree, but this guy simply didn't.

[Mateo_1387]

I assume the FF had EMT training or MR training or whatever the equivalent is for his area. It did say in the article that

As Brophy went into the home, he replayed his training in his mind.

If he did have the training, then I would expect him to know his job too. So what would be extra special about him doing it?

[Upton4785]

Call me old fashioned, but I'm a believer in the saying "give credit where credit is due". In this case, it clearly is NOT the firefighter, but the paramedics who were mentioned in the article as "doing their job". If I see a woman about to be run over by a semi and I yell "look out!" as someone swoops in from the sky to rescue her, then I deserve absolutely no credit.

And yes, it does come down to money. Whenever Anytown USA Fire Department saves the day, they get a shiney new truck, even if all they did was hold the legs and go over breathing techniques with the mother. Meanwhile, the people who did the rest of the work get a brief mention in the newspaper about "doing their jobs". If one of the paramedics stood by the mother's side and just said "breathe, mommy, just breathe!" the news would be up in arms about the medic not doing his job and how the public demands blood for the travesty. But because delivering a baby fits nowhere into the title Firefighter, literally meaning one who fights fires, then it's going above and beyond the call of duty, even if it was just hand-holding.

For this story, the credit should go out to the nameless few who probably care even less about getting the recognition than that local FD cares about giving it to them.