ST. AMANT—Tuesday night proved to be a busy one for emergency crews in Ascension Parish as firefighters delivered a baby!
St. Amant volunteer firefighters were among six different crews battling a fire at a metal workshop near a home in Gonzales before 7 p.m. on Tuesday. With smoke billowing, firefighters not only fought the flames but also had to contend with the thick Louisiana air.
After wrapping up their work at the scene, St. Amant’s crew received another urgent call close by—one that would leave a lasting impact. A mother-to-be had gone into labor and needed their assistance.
“It started around eight o’clock, and I started having little contractions,” Whitney Miller told Unfiltered with Kiran. “Then I took a bath, and that probably wasn’t a good idea.”
After the bath, the contractions started coming back-to-back. Miller says she was home with no car. Her friend Cameron called 911 who started walking them through how to give birth at home.
“I was like we’re about to do this right here, right now,” Miller joked.
“I can assure you that these volunteer firemen, who were sweaty and overheated from battling the structure fire for several hours yesterday, were not expecting to find themselves in a situation where they would be delivering a baby,” stated St. Amant Fire Chief James LeBlanc during an interview with UWK.
“We receive these types of calls frequently,” shared volunteer firefighter Hunter Solar with UWK. “Usually, we prepare the patients for transport to the hospital. However, that wasn’t possible last night.”
Upon arriving at the scene, the firefighters realized there would be no time to transport the mother to the hospital—the baby was almost here. The firefighters had to help deliver the baby!
“Dispatch requested an update on the patient, and I informed them, ‘We’re having a baby!'” Solar recounted. “Everything happened rapidly. It felt like it took longer than it actually did… but we delivered the baby within 10 minutes.”
“Everybody told me to push, and I pushed and Cameron caught the baby,” Miller said.
Thanks to the swift response of the emergency crews, a healthy baby girl named Kyrah Miller was safely delivered at home. Kyrah is Miller’s second child.
Her exact time of birth had to be estimated because it all happened so fast. Her birth certificate says Kyrah Miller was born at 9:47pm on May 23rd.
“I just looked at when I called my mom on my phone because I called her right after so it’s a guesstimate of what her exact time of birth is,” said Miller.
“I want to emphasize how proud I am of these volunteers,” expressed LeBlanc. “They do not receive payment for their efforts. They are always there for the community, always taking care of the community. Calls like last night’s are what bring a smile to a fire chief’s face. It’s a blessing for our community and our fire department.”
For Solar, who has responded to numerous emergencies, this was his first experience with delivering a baby.
“I don’t have children of my own, so the emotions didn’t hit me until afterward,” he shared. “It was a touching moment, and it made me realize what to expect when the day comes for me. It was an extraordinary event, not just for me, but for our entire fire department.”
Truly, it was a night they will never forget.
“We are all walking around with broad smiles on our faces. The baby is healthy, the mother is healthy, and this exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism,” added LeBlanc.
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