By Bryan Eneas

Telecommunicator helps deliver baby

Jan 2, 2018 | 3:39 PM

It was an interesting first call of the day for one of Parkland Ambulance’s telecommunicators of the year.

Chantel Jantz had just started her day on Jan 2 when she took a call about a birth in progress. Jantz would eventually help the family give birth to their third child, a daughter.

“The call came in at 7:24; the call came in from the dad who was originally quite frantic,” Jantz said. “He passed the phone off to a friend or another family member who was a lot more calm who could relay the information on to him… to help his girlfriend or wife to help deliver the baby.”

She said it was a very quick call where she collected the patient’s name and location before moving immediately to providing instructions. The family and their newborn baby were taken to hospital and all were in good condition according to Jantz.

Such a delivery was made possible due to the computer systems used by Parkland Ambulance dispatchers. Dispatchers are provided with prompts on their computer monitors with directions to provide callers while waiting for an ambulance.

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“Depending on whether the baby’s breached or the heads visible or they’re just having contractions, we can click on it, and [the computer] will give us instructions to give next until the paramedics get there,” she said.

In her time as a telecommunicator, Jantz has helped deliver three babies but it’s not a common occurence. She said her supervisor was in the business for 30 years and hasn’t delivered a baby over the phone.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @BryanEneas