Honors For Stamford VFD For Assisting in Baby’s Birth

When you are a fire department member and you get called into action you just never know what you are going to find when you arrive at "the scene."  A burning vehicle?  A lost child?  A car in trouble?  A structure fire?  All of these and a myriad of other situations can await you as you race to the fire call.

But delivering a baby?  I think that must be way down the list of possibilities that fire department members must be mulling over in their minds on the way to the call.

But it does happen, rarely, and it happened in one of our own local communities recently.  And the happened right at the fire station!

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond presented “Sheriff’s Super-Star” awards to five members of the Stamford Volunteer Fire Department for their efforts in delivering a baby on Feb. 25.  The fire department members sprang into action and helped deliver a beautiful little girl to the mother.   Place of birth?  In the couple's own car, inside the Stamford Fire Department fire station.

The baby was born in the passenger seat of her parent’s vehicle in a Fire Department truck bay where department members were busy cleaning trucks. DuMond remarked that it doesn’t matter what agency they work for or what color uniform thay have, it’s about helping people.

The "godparents" of the new little girl, Charlotte Wyckoff, are former Fire Chief Cliff Mueller, along with firefighter Peter Pioppo, were later joined by EMS Captain Margaret Schoonmaker and firefighters Don VanEtten, John Stark and George Curbelo in delivering the baby.

Speaking on the awards, Sheriff Craig DuMond remarked “I’m proud and honored to present these awards to this group of dedicated volunteers. When it comes to a first responders’ duties, it doesn’t matter what agency we work for or what color uniform we have, its about helping people in service to our communities. We are grateful and appreciative for their efforts”.

Congratulations to the new mom and dad, to the new little girl, Charlotte, and to all of the members of the Stamford Volunteer Fire Department for a successful "special delivery."