911 Dispatcher Helps Deliver Baby Over the Phone Just 2 Weeks Into Job
Infant was born with umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.
— -- A new 911 dispatcher in Utah faced a surprising test when he had to help birth a baby via the telephone.
William Kalaher had started as a 911 dispatcher only two weeks before taking a call from Kristin Allred and her husband, Shay, who called as Allred was starting to deliver her infant daughter in the car last Friday.
"We were really close [to the hospital]; I just felt like I needed to start pushing," Kristin Allred told ABC News. "From when we started talking to 911, within a minute I had given birth."
Allred's husband kept driving, thinking they could get to the Salt Lake City hospital in plenty of time, she told ABC News. At that point, Allred realized something was wrong with her newborn daughter.
"I pushed her out and placed her up on my chest and then we realized she wasn’t breathing," Allred said.
That's when Kalaher's training kicked in. Allred said the new 911 dispatcher kept his cool even when they told him their daughter was not breathing because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck.
"He was great...he was good at helping us focus on what was going on," Allred said. "Having him there helped us focus and this is what we needed to do."
Kalaher told the couple how to position the baby to encourage her to breathe.
"You pick up a 911 call and you never really know what's on the other end of it," Kalaher told KUTV-TV in Salt Lake City.
Allred said Kalaher, whom ABC News was unable to reach, also directed her husband to tie off the umbilical cord. Police and an ambulance arrived soon after.
The couple now have a healthy baby girl named Anne. While they still haven't met Kalaher, Allred said she's thankful he was able to help them through the scary delivery.
"He was definitely there in case anything got worse," Allred said.