By Cody King
Edwardsville Intelligencer
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — It was a 9-1-1 call to the Edwardsville Police Department that left the lives of an Edwardsville woman and her soon-to-be newborn baby in the hands of a dispatcher.
After receiving a 9-1-1 call at 1:23 a.m., Tuesday, July 18, dispatcher/telecommunicator Jason Eberhard gave a crash course to the woman’s distressed boyfriend over the phone on how to successfully deliver the baby at home.
With the Edwardsville Fire Department and EMS on their way to the scene at the time of the call, the delivery was coming fast and couldn’t wait.
Lt. Charles Kohlberg, of the EPD, said Eberhard helped the family in a calm manner.
“(He) did a great job at calmly giving the 9-1-1 caller instructions – basically the materials that he was going to need to help deliver the baby (and) give instructions on delivering the baby,” Kohlberg said.
“Once the baby was delivered, (Eberhard assisted the caller in making sure) the baby was breathing and then gave additional instructions on tying the umbilical cord just prior to the baby being delivered while our officers had arrived on scene,” he added.
Officer Rick Thompson, of the EPD, was one of the first responders that arrived on scene and he also played a part in assisting with the delivery, according to Kohlberg.
“Thompson had arrived on scene right when the baby was being delivered and assisted the father (and) the mother. I believe he as well assisted the father with tying the umbilical cord,” Kohlberg said.
After the delivery, both the mother and the newborn were transported via ambulance to Anderson Hospital.
Kohlberg said both he and Lt. Chris Byrne, of the EPD, followed up with the family on Thursday, and both the mother and the baby are healthy.
Copyright 2017 Edwardsville Intelligencer
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