A baby delivery was just the right call for EMD Robert Montemorano.
The Wayne County (New York, USA) 911 Emergency Dispatcher and trainer shies away from personal publicity; however, the call prompted him to put modesty aside to generate greater interest in the understated profession.
He also wanted to extend appreciation to all the people answering calls and dispatching response day-in and day-out without greater public recognition. For example, only if you checked the Wayne County E-911 Facebook page would you know about the actions of two EMDs. EMD April Brooks had two CPR saves in June 2023 and, a year before that, EMD Julie Trickey helped a caller deliver a baby while responders were on the way.
“We have a tough job,” Montemorano said. “There are so many out there who don’t get the kudos or attention they deserve. No one hears about the good we do.”
Attention given to lifesaving and all-around good calls, he said, could help in attracting others to emergency dispatch as a career. Like most communication centers nationally, Wayne County E-911 Communications is short-staffed and busy recruiting qualified people to fill positions.
Emergency communications is not all doom and gloom and even calls that start out bad—and a majority do—hold the possibility for a positive ending through an Emergency Dispatcher’s ability to follow protocol, hold emotions in check, provide Pre-Arrival Instructions as needed, and manage the caller and situation.
Enjoying helping people and at least some technological savvy also goes a long way in meeting the 911 challenges, Montemorano said. Montemorano’s confidence in the experience built during the past five years at Wayne County and previous work in potentially high-stress situations works to a caller’s benefit. He remains calm and focuses on helping during an emergency. He does not judge and stays on track with protocol.
The baby delivery and a call involving an infant who had stopped breathing demonstrate why he’s right for the job. The male asking for assistance in delivering the baby in early August 2023 was understandably nervous at the start. Montemorano was quick to calm him and provided the instructions for positioning the mom and commencing delivery once the caller verified the baby was crowning.
“He [the caller] was good; he followed the instructions and stayed calm,” Montemorano said. “We were doing this together.”
Three minutes into the delivery, shortly after 8:30 a.m., Montemorano heard a reassuring cry. The caller said the baby was a girl, and Montemorano congratulated the parents. “I have a daughter so that makes it extra rewarding,” he said.
EMS transported mom and baby to the hospital, and both were reportedly doing well.
In January 2022, Montemorano answered a call involving a newborn baby who was unconscious and not breathing during an at-home birth. Montemorano relayed CPR instructions to the caller, who performed mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions on the child. Montemorano’s direction, the caller’s actions, and EMS response are credited with a positive outcome.
And for someone who doesn’t like publicity, there’s a third call of Montemorano’s that made it into the media. This call—a text-to-911 communication—was a domestic incident in which texting provided the caller’s location and situational setting while Montemorano’s 911 partner, Chris English, coordinated the law enforcement response and allocated resources to the scene to render it safe.1
Montemorano has received accolades from supervisors and management for the calls and, for the baby delivery, he was awarded a stork pin. Baby deliveries are not common in Wayne County, and this was a first for Montemorano. Again, he would rather downplay the attention. “We all do our jobs; we’re a team,” he said. “It’s often just the luck of the call.”
Source
1. “Text from 9-1-1 Helps Dispatcher Take Action During a Domestic Incident.” Rave Mobile Safety. https://www.ravemobilesafety.com/customer-success-stories/rave-911-suite-helps-dispatcher-during-domestic-incident/ (accessed Oct. 2, 2023).
