It's a girl! Vernon firefighters deliver baby in early morning emergency call

Photo: Jon Manchester

It's a girl!

Vernon firefighters helped deliver a baby during an emergency call early Saturday.

About 4:15 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to an emergency labour on the 6900 block of Cummins Road.

Firefighters were on scene within two minutes, as the Okanagan Landing firehall is just around the corner.

“By the time we got upstairs, the baby was already coming, so there was no time to get the mother to hospital,” says acting Lieut. Trevor Keenan. “We were first on scene, so firefighter Cody Grier jumped immediately into action and helped calm the mother, coaching her through a fast delivery with BC Ambulance Service dispatch on the phone.”

Grier worked as a paramedic for 10 years prior to moving to Vernon, and his training helped keep everyone calm during the fast-moving event.

Paramedics arrived on scene moments later and helped assess the baby and mother, confirming everyone was healthy before transporting the duo to Vernon Jubilee Hospital for additional care.

“This was a call that showcased the strong teamwork of our local emergency response agencies,” said Grier. “There aren’t many times in your career that you get to congratulate someone and tell them they have a beautiful baby girl! The mother did such a great job. It was a moment to remember.”