In a situation that would frighten any father, a Richmond man recently called 911 to say his wife was in labor and they weren’t going to make it to the hospital.
Thankfully, a well-trained police dispatcher was on the other end of the line.
Just after 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, Deana Koyl, a supervisor at the Richmond Communication Center, answered the father’s 911 call and learned the baby’s head was already visible, according to the Richmond Police Department.
“Using Emergency Medical Dispatch protocols, Supervisor Koyl walked the father through the delivery of the child, how to support the baby boy’s head, making sure the umbilical cord was not wrapped around the baby’s neck, and providing directions on how to tie off the umbilical cord,” police said. “She continued to provide reassurance to the family until the fire department arrived seven minutes later.”
On Thursday, police said the grateful family stopped by the Richmond Communication Center to meet and personally thank Koyl.
“Richmond dispatchers are trained in National Academics of Emergency Dispatch Standards and are certified as Emergency Medical Dispatchers, which prepares them for these type of situations,” police said “The efforts of Supervisor Koyl are a perfect example of the excellent service provided every day by all the dispatchers in the Communications Center.”
