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911 dispatchers help deliver babies
Carroll County 911 dispatchers have been busy last month, helping to deliver not one, but two babies over the phone. Their incredible stories.
CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. - Carroll County 911 dispatchers helped deliver two babies over the phone on two separate occasions in February.
The mothers went into quick labor before paramedics were able to get there, so the operators had to walk them and their family members through the delivery.
Carroll County 911 Director Felicia Rowland says firefighters are usually able to arrive on the scene to assist before the baby arrives, so helping a family deliver over the phone is uncommon, especially twice in one month.
But Rowland says the dispatchers are trained for this.
On the 911 call between Manuelle Bradfield’s mother and Carroll County 911, you can hear Bradfield’s mother exclaiming "The baby's coming!" as she experienced a much-quicker-than-expected delivery of her baby Amelia on Feb 2.
"She wasn't due until the 22nd," Bradfield said.
She says little Amelia apparently couldn't wait.
"She didn't even give me a chance to take my shorts off. She came through the hole in my shorts, and I heard the dispatcher say, ‘Do I hear her crying?’" Bradfield said.
Carroll County 911 dispatcher Kaylee Wysner was on the other end of that call, and you can hear her calmly walking the family through everything.
"What I need you to do now is to gently wipe off the baby's mouth and nose," Wysner can be heard saying on the call.
Rowland says Wysner followed her training to the letter, asking questions to determine if the pregnancy was high-risk and then calmly giving the family members step-by-step instructions.
As did fellow dispatcher Melissa Smith when she helped deliver a baby over the phone on Feb. 27.
"The county, to me, has the best 911 center ... They are dedicated day in and day out. They are here day in and day out. They are here to help you. No matter how minor, no matter how major. And they are here every single day to answer that call. No matter what happens, I can't be more proud of them," Rowland said.
But Rowland says she needs more dispatchers.
"We're trying to get staffed. We're facing the same shortages as everyone else," Rowland said.
She says right now they're down about six dispatchers, a shortage that accounts for 25% of their staff. According to Rowland, the county recently increased the pay to be competitive with neighboring counties.
"Congratulations y'all. Y'all did great on this. Tell mom she did great!" Wysner says on the 911 call recording.
As a thank-you, Bradfield sent a picture of baby Amelia to Wysner shortly after the birth.
"I am telling you, it is the best feeling in the world," Wysner said.
"I just want to tell her again, thank you for everything. I'm grateful for her, and I'm grateful for the training that she had to help us," Bradfield said.
"It's a very fulfilling job because you're helping people no matter what the situation is, you are helping them," Rowland said.
You can learn more about becoming a 911 dispatcher for Carroll County here.