While Richmond police dispatcher Esmeralda Rodriguez coached a new mother through the delivery of her baby, she continued to field other radio requests and calls from field units.
Rodriguez’s ability to remain calm while multitasking through an intense period on the job is all the more remarkable considering she is still in training as a police dispatcher. On Thursday, Rodriguez was recognized with a commendation from the Office of the Chief.
The 911 call came at 1:46 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. A mother in active labor told Rodriguez the baby’s head was already out. She remained calm while talking the caller through the process of delivering a baby. The call lasted for nearly 10 minutes before first responders arrived.
During that 10-minute period, Rodriguez took requests from units in the field on Channel 2, all while assisting the mom and her baby, monitoring their situation and updating the Fire Channel Dispatcher. Not only that, all of her tranmissions “were clear and concise and there was not any requests for units, or the caller, to repeat information,” according to the Office of the Chief.
“Rodriguez displayed a keen ability to maintain calm under pressure and to multitask, all while maintaining situational awareness,” her colleagues said Thursday. “Her quick thinking and actions under pressure are worthy of commendation and brought this stressful situation to a happy ending.”
Rodriguez started with the RPD dispatch center in April and remains in the dispatcher training program.
