A Different Type of Memorial Day

The Elmsford Fire Department, led by Chief David Signor, participated in church services, a parade followed by a ceremony held at Village Hall to honor our fallen heroes. Numerous groups were in attendance and everyone seemed to be enjoying the festivities. Except one couple. They were busy in a different way.

At approximately 1:30PM, after the last hot dog was consumed and the tables and chairs put away, the Elmsford Fire Department received a call for an ambulance to respond to Ichi Riki’s Japanese Restaurant for a woman in labor. Upon arrival, firefighters and police officers found a young woman, who works at the restaurant, moaning with labor pains. Paramedics arrived shortly after and assisted as firefighters put the young woman onto the stretcher and wheeled her into the fire department’s new ambulance, which was recently just put into service.

As the young woman’s labor pains increased she became quite loud. Instructions from the paramedics could be heard between her breathing and screaming. The father who also works at the restaurant, had pulled his car behind the ambulance prepared to follow them to the hospital. Assistant Chief Nelson Diaz suggested he turn off the van and join his wife in the back of the ambulance. Protocol and safety reasons warrant letting the child be born in a stationary vehicle. Since this was her third child, it was assumed that labor might be swift. Just as the husband had gotten into the ambulance and joined his wife, she gave birth to a boy. This is the first birth in the Elmsford Fire Department’s new ambulance and truly a Memorial Day for at least one growing family. Best of luck to them all.