Chelsea firefighters have become as familiar with babies lately as they have been with flames.
Firefighters from Engine 2 helped deliver a baby girl late Saturday night, March 8, at a Congress Avenue residence, bringing a new life into the world within minutes of arriving at the scene.
In January, fire crews rescued a woman who was eight-months pregnant that collapsed in her home. In December 2012, firefighters delivered a baby on Highland Avenue also.
Last Saturday at 10:35 p.m., Engine 2 responded to a Congress Avenue residence for the report of a woman in labor. The crew of Engine 2 arrived and found a 35-year-old female in active labor.
“We began to assess the patient and noticed the baby was crowning, we knew birth was imminent,” stated Fire Lt. Chris Lehmann, “ I placed my hand on the baby’s head and instructed mom to focus on her breathing.”
Paramedics from Cataldo Ambulance arrived on scene and within a few minutes the baby girl was born. The crews worked quickly to free the umbilical cord, which was wrapped around the baby’s neck and they suctioned her nose and mouth.
“The baby began breathing on her own and started to cry,” stated Lehmann, “everything happened so quickly.”
Both the mother and her newborn daughter were evaluated and together appeared in good health, before they were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.