Firefighters received a call to deliver a baby on the side of Eltham Road in Lee Green, south east London this morning.
The White Watch at Lee Green fire station were just finishing their shift around 8 o’clock (Tuesday 20 June) when there was a knock on the door from a police community support officer. He asked the fire crew to help a lady in labour who was in the back seat of her car with her partner and teenage daughter.
Firefighters ran across the road and got to work quickly, setting up a salvage sheet for privacy on the roadside of the busy A20 and then helped the father to deliver the baby boy, who came very quickly.
Crew Manager Liz George assisted with the birth: “I arrived just as the baby’s head was appearing. I’ve had no kids myself and the only knowledge I have is from watching Channel 4’s ‘One Born Every Minute’. I kept the lady calm and reassured her and twenty minutes later the baby boy was born and I caught the baby. Thankfully an ambulance arrived soon after to cut the chord.
“I feel so happy and honoured to be part of this really important event in this family’s life. Both the new mum and dad were absolutely thrilled. They called the baby Jeremy.
“This happy event just goes to show always expect the unexpected in this job. One day you're a firefighter and the next you're a midwife.”