Congratulations on an Outstanding Job!

During its January 9 meeting, Crete Village Board recognized several members of the Crete Fire Department, Crete Township Fire Protection District, Crete Police Department, and the Laraway Communications Center for their outstanding efforts and professionalism during two emergency childbirth situations that took place in late November.

On the morning of November 18, the Crete Fire Department responded to a possible childbirth in the parking lot of Culver’s. Responding to the scene were Lt./Paramedic Keith Kerness, Firefighter/EMT Blake Hubbard, and Firefighter/EMT Talion McNeil. Upon their arrival, the crew found the mother in the backseat of her vehicle and in labor Although the infant’s body delivered in the breech position, the head had not, and was putting pressure on the umbilical cord, endangering the baby.

Using their training for such a situation, the crew manually created an airway and began cardiac compressions on the infant, as no pulse could be ascertained at that point. The mother then was placed in the ambulance and transported to Franciscan Dyer Hospital, while the crew maintained the infant’s airway, while providing continuous cardiac compressions. Care of the mother and infant were transferred to the emergency department of the hospital, where the infant was successfully delivered. The mother and infant were discharged two days later.

Just two days later, in the early morning of November 20, Crete Fire and Crete Police Departments were dispatched by the Laraway Communications Center for another emergency childbirth of a premature infant, who might not be breathing. Capt./paramedic Jim Boehner responded directly to the scene as he was a personal friend of the family, while the ambulance responded with its crew of Firefighter/paramedic Mike Swiat, Firefighter/EMT Blake Hubbard, and Firefighter Andy Scharnhorst. Crete Police Officers dispatched to the scene were Sgt. Chris Young and Officers Dave Nelson and Rich Elza.

Laraway Communication Center call-taker Melissa Muska kept in constant contact with the family, talking them through this very difficult situation and keeping them calm, while simultaneously relaying pertinent information to the Police Desk Dispatcher Liz Valencia and Firefighter Desk Dispatcher Alexa Bedolla.

Upon his arrival, Capt. Boehner found the mother holding her just-born son, who was still attached to the umbilical cord. A weak pulse was present, and the infant was making attempts to breathe on his own. Capt. Boehner began to manually stimulate the infant, while evaluating the mother’s condition. When Crete’s ambulance arrived, Paramedic Swiat clamped and cut the umbilical cord and continued stimulation efforts. As the infant was approximately three months premature and weighing only about two pounds, Capt. Boehner directed the ambulance crew to immediately transport the infant to Franciscan Dyer Emergency Department under police escort, while he attended to the mother on the scene. He requested an ambulance crew from the Crete Township Fire Protection District to assist him with the mother’s care.

During the transport of the infant, Paramedic Swiat noted a significant decline in the infant’s condition and began immediate resuscitation efforts, which included rescue ventilation and infant CPR. Upon arrival at the hospital, their team continued resuscitation efforts and successfully stabilized the infant’s condition.

Capt. Boehner, together with Lt./paramedic Chris Moeller and Paramedic Josh Gibson from Crete Township, transported the mother to Franciscan Dyer without incident and transferred her care to the emergency department. Once the infant’s condition was stabilized, he was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn. His condition continues to improve daily.

Crete Fire Chief JP Muirhead said these calls are wonderful examples of the teamwork that takes place during the activation of our area 911 system, “From the initial call for assistance, to the transfer of patient care, several dedicated emergency professionals from many agencies, which here included our Laraway Dispatchers, Crete Police Officers, and members of the Crete and Crete Township Fire Departments, came together to provide the highest level of prehospital care under extremely stressful circumstances. Every member of this combined team performed flawlessly to achieve happy outcomes for the families involved.”