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‘Expect the unexpected': FDNY paramedics help deliver baby in ferry terminal

Two FDNY paramedics assisted with the birth of a baby at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan after responding to a call for a woman in labor

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By Mike Matteo
Staten Island Advance

NEW YORK — Two paramedics from the Fire Department of New York assisted with the birth of a baby at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan.

On Sunday, the FDNY shared a post on social media celebrating the actions and quick thinking of Paramedics Daniel Qamar and Alexander Velasquez, who helped to deliver a baby at the ferry terminal.

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According to the post, the two paramedics received a call on Jan. 21 saying that someone had gone into labor at the terminal.

When the paramedics were heading up to the second level, they were informed that the baby had just been delivered.

The two worked with others assisting on the scene, making sure the mother and child were safe before transporting them to an area hospital.

“My partner went immediately to make sure the baby was breathing and crying, which thankfully she was,” Velasquez said in a statement.

According to Velasquez, the two then cut the umbilical cord, and called for additional assistance.

“Calls like this really remind you to expect the unexpected,” Velasquez continued. “The job comes over as one thing and when you arrive it can be ten times more than you anticipated. You go from one patient to two patients instantly.”

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