Firefighters help deliver premature baby in southern highlands hotel room - Bundanoon
Published: 01 Dec 2023 06:16pm
A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew has come to the rescue of a woman, giving birth three weeks early in a hotel at Bundanoon, in the state’s Southern Highlands.
The Bundanoon Fire Station responded to a Triple Zero (000) call around 3pm yesterday.
A key member of the four-person crew for this job was Firefighter, Roberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, who had just completed a pediatric assessment refresher course three days earlier.
Roberto is a firefighter trained in FRNSW’s Community First Responder (CFR) medical assistance program.
When the crew arrived, it was led to a room upstairs where two housekeepers and the hotel receptionist were caring for the mother, “Agum.”
With her contractions only a minute apart, Roberto and his firefighting colleagues embodied FRNSW’s motto, “Prepared for Anything” and raced into action, also securing the “live” advice of paramedics over a joint first responder app.
Within minutes the baby girl was born without incident, although premature.
The fire crew placed baby “Deborah” with her mother before they were assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics and taken to hospital.
Both mother and baby are doing fine.
The fire crew has gifted bub with a FRNSW teddy bear as a memento.
The manager of the hotel, incidentally, told the fire crew he’s recently signed up as an On-Call FRNSW firefighter, the maternity emergency only steeling his resolve to help others.
Under the FRNSW CFR program, firefighters in a number of towns throughout the state can provide life-saving medical intervention to the community.
Media Note - The firefighters pictured are from left to right: Leading Firefighter Adam Reeson; Qualified Firefighter Stephen Edgar; Firefighter Roberto Gnecchi-Ruscone; Station Officer Dennis Cornell.
Updated: 01 Dec 2023 06:20pm
Related safety topics
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
Having a home escape plan and a working smoke alarm increases your chances of getting out safely.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
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Stations nearby
15 Anzac Parade, Bundanoon NSW 2578
64 Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale NSW 2577
16 Merrigang Street, Bowral NSW 2576