Local first responders often must respond to individuals experiencing some of the worst days of their lives. Firefighters and paramedics treat patients with life-threatening conditions in difficult and chaotic situations. Because of the nature of their work, when the opportunity arises for emergency crews to respond to happy events like the birth of a baby, it is truly a special and memorable time.
Such was the case for members of the Ann Arbor City Fire Department and paramedics from Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA) who recently responded to a baby girl delivered at home.
The early morning hours of Wednesday, March 13 were shaping up to be a regular day for Ann Arbor Fire and HVA crews. However, that would quickly change when Ann Arbor resident Krin Klein, who was expecting her third child any day, went into labor. Krin was at home with her husband Etan and their two young children when she went into labor. She quickly realized she was not going to make it to the hospital before the baby arrived and that she would be delivering the baby at home.
Upon realizing the urgency of their situation, Krin’s husband called 9-1-1 and was connected with Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA) dispatchers. HVA Dispatchers are licensed EMS providers who have additional training in Emergency Medical Dispatching. Once on the phone with Etan the dispatchers walked him through the delivery process while simultaneously sending crews from Huron Valley Ambulance and Ann Arbor Fire Department Station 5 to his home. The instructions dispatch gave to Etan allowed him to assist Krin in a safe and quick delivery of their new daughter, Dacia.
Fire and HVA crews arrived at the Klein home just after Krin delivered her baby. The crews assessed Krin and her newborn baby and determined everyone was doing well before transporting mom and baby to Mott Children’s Hospital at Michigan Medicine. On the way to the hospital Fire assisted HVA by driving the ambulance so both paramedics were available to continue care for Krin and Dacia.
On Saturday April 13th, one month after baby Dacia arrived in the world, she and her family had a chance to reunite with the responders who had been so instrumental in her first moments of life. The Ann Arbor Firefighters and HVA Paramedics and dispatchers who had been involved with Dacia’s birth met up with the Klein family at Ann Arbor’s Fire Station Five.
The responders had a chance to meet and hold baby Dacia and give her big brothers tours of the fire trucks and ambulances. Their mom Krin remarked that both boys had slept through the arrival of their little sister and never even knew that the Firefighters and Paramedics had been in the house that night.
Upon recounting the story of Dacia’s birth HVA dispatchers reflected on how calm Etan had been the entire time they were coaching him through his daughter’s birth.
The firefighters who had responded to Krin said that she was a trooper throughout the entire process and that she is the “true hero” of this story.
MAIN PHOTO (above): An Ann Arbor firefighter provides oxygen to baby Dacia shortly after her birth
(L to R Back) Lieutenant Allen Bruck, Firefigther George Allard, Firefigther Matt Francis, Driver / Operator James Tieman, Paramedic Dan Burke, Dispatcher Katelyn Schaible, Dispatcher Stacie Howard | (L to R Front) Etan Klein holding baby Dacia and son Yoav, Krin Klein with son Dawson standing in front.
