FDNY - EMTS in Action

Published: July 21, 2014 FDNY EMTs Deliver Baby in Brooklyn EMTs Zachary Deutsch (left) and Bryan Anderson. One Brooklyn woman said she is extremely grateful for EMTs Zachary Deutsch and Bryan Anderson, Station 40, who helped deliver her baby girl while on the way to the hospital on July 19. And the delivery was extra special for EMT Anderson, as it was his first since his graduation from the Academy just three months ago. “It was a great experience,” EMT Anderson said. “In the moment I was just focused on making sure everything was ok. But now that it’s over, I keep thinking, ‘Wow, that really happened.’” They were called to a home on 60th Street for a woman in labor just before 3 p.m. They found the woman sitting on her floor in an upstairs residence, surrounded by family. She said she went to the hospital earlier in the day, but was sent home, and was now experiencing pain. Her father said he wanted to take her back to the hospital, but was worried about getting her down the stairs. “We wanted to get her [to the hospital] as quickly as we could,” EMT Anderson said. They carried her down the steps and into the ambulance, headed toward Maimonides Medical Center, which was about a five to 10 minute drive. During the ride, she said her water broke, and EMT Anderson saw the baby was crowning. She began having contractions about 45 seconds apart, and the EMT said he was encouraging her to push, along with her boyfriend, who was supporting her along the way. Just as EMT Deutsch pulled the ambulance into the Emergency Room bay, the baby girl was delivered. “When the baby started crying, that was the greatest sound,” EMT Anderson said.  “The woman handled [the unusual situation] really well. And once baby delivered she was just relieved and very happy.” He said her family met them at the hospital and everyone kept thanking the EMTs for their help. EMT Anderson said he kept thinking about his own child, who is 1½-year-old, throughout the delivery. And he said he and his partner hope to visit the new family before they are discharged from the hospital. “It’s a great feeling, maybe because I’m a father myself,” he said. “It just made me feel good as an EMT and as a person, being able to help someone like that.”