Holmes Fire District #1 steps in to help with birth
Holmes Fire District #1 B-Shift members Emma Bigler, left, Nick Frieden and Caleb Taylor are mesmerized and full of joy as Frieden holds baby Reileigh during the Torgler family visit to the station to celebrate a most unusual birth.
On March 31, Holmes Fire District #1 B-Shift crew members Nick Frieden, Logan Gallion, Caleb Taylor, Andrew Berman and EMT trainee Emma Bigler were at the station on what was at the time a routine day.
That routine day was about to get turned on upside down.
At 4 p.m., 9-1-1 dispatch called into the station with an urgent message. There was a pregnant women en route whose water had broken and she wasn’t going to make it to Pomerene Hospital.
That message came when the Torgler family, including husband Matt, mother Chelsea and 14-month old daughter Eliana, were between Nashville and Harvest Ridge Fairgrounds a mile out of Millersburg.
“It’s raining cats and dogs and I’m flying as safely as possible to get to the hospital,” Matt said. “I got to Nashville and Chelsea said she felt the head coming and she didn’t think she would make it to the hospital.”
That was when Matt realized they needed a helping hand.
“I knew they had a fully-staffed, capable crew here at Fire District #1,” Matt said.
With little time to prepare, the crew quickly sprang into action and got an ambulance ready for transport. However, that plan changed quickly when they realized the baby was ready to be born.
“We had the squad out and waiting, and they showed up, and Chelsea is on all fours in the back of the vehicle,” said Gallion, the acting shift chief. “I asked her how far apart her contractions were, and she said ‘one minute.’”
That put the EMTs on high alert. When she said she was ready to push and they saw the baby crowning, it was time to put their training into action. They rolled her gurney into the first bay area which they had made available just in case and went to work delivering the baby.
“It was all pretty textbook,” Frieden said. “We flicked the baby’s feet to get her mad and cry, and we put her on her mom’s chest and got them ready to transport.”
Frieden said these types of situations don’t happen often, but intense training sessions for just this occasion are part of every EMT’s training.
He said they put EMT personnel through every possible delivery scenario as trainees and make sure that should an instance arise where there needs to be a delivery, they are prepared.
This unit provide to be more than up to the task of taking on such a vital role.
“It’s not a difficult process if everything is normal, and we were fortunate it went normally,” Frieden said. “It’s scary, but really, mom’s doing all the work.”
Gallion had marked the time from the moment the call came in and again upon successful delivery. The total time for this little miracle? Nine minutes.
“It all happened pretty fast,” Gallion said.
Any birth is nerve-racking enough, but for the Torglers, this was one that will forever stand out because of the unique circumstances.
“I was surprised at how calm everyone was in such a wild situation,” Chelsea said. “They were amazing, and I never felt that there were any problems. Once we got in here, I felt like I was in very good hands and while I wouldn’t want to do it this way again, I wouldn’t hesitate if it was necessary.”
Everything went so smoothly with the delivery at the station that after they had safely transported Chelsea and Reileigh to Pomerene Hospital following the delivery, both were more than ready to leave well ahead of the required 24-hour stay.
One hour after arriving at Pomerene, Matt was proudly sending out photos of the exhausted but happy mama holding her newborn infant girl.
“We can’t ever express our gratitude enough,” Chelsea said of the crew of B-Shift. “It’s comforting to know that we have very capable, qualified people in place to whom we can turn to in these types of situations.”
Gallion said even though the experience doesn’t arise often — in fact this was a first for the entire B-Shift team — the training simply kicks into place once the moment arrives and adrenaline starts working.
Watching the crew coddling over Reileigh during the family’s visit at the station with B-Shift on April 12 proved how much they admired the infant, and they all expressed their sentiments over how amazing and brave Chelsea was throughout the ordeal, Frieden calling her a warrior and Taylor stating that she was truly the biggest hero of this harrowing event.
For a group dedicated to responding to emergencies and harrowing instances, having the Torglers stop by to visit was the cherry on top of the sundae.
“Seeing this, having them come in here and experiencing their joy is great for our mental health,” Taylor said.
The experience made an impact on everyone involved, especially the Torgler family, but now the department has their own “adopted child” so to speak, an infant who will always hold a spot near and dear to their hearts.
“I’d like to think that we have a very vested interest in all of our patients,” Frieden said. “But oftentimes we’re dealing with tragedy and loss and not the happiness of adding a life. I’d imagine she will be getting gifts from B-Shift over the coming years.”
Reileigh has loving parents and a big sister to care for her, but with the way things played out, she now has an extended family that will be keeping a special eye on her for many years to come.