A trainee firefighter found himself playing an unexpected role as an emergency midwife during a dramatic car park birth at Birmingham Women's Hospital, turning a routine false alarm call into a memorable life-saving intervention.
Unexpected Emergency Response
Lewis Smith, a 26-year-old trainee firefighter who joined West Midlands Fire Service just last July, was responding to what initially appeared to be a standard call at Birmingham Women's Hospital on Wednesday, January 28. The call turned out to be a false alarm, but the situation quickly escalated when Lewis noticed a frantic man running towards him shouting for urgent assistance.
Frantic Arrival at Hospital
Dan Hyams had driven his wife Emily from their Kings Heath home to the hospital, but they didn't manage to reach the maternity unit in time. "By the time I'd run to get the parking ticket and back to the car, Emily was walking towards the hospital," Dan recalled. "We were about 15 metres from reception when Emily said, 'The baby's coming!'"
In a state of panic, Dan rushed into the hospital reception area and called for immediate help from the West Midlands Fire Service crew who happened to be on site. Firefighters Lewis Smith, Russ Edwards, and Meshach Reid responded without hesitation, rushing outside to find Emily already on the ground in the advanced stages of labour.
Improvised Delivery Assistance
As Dan began to deliver his own son, trainee firefighter Lewis stepped in to provide crucial support, carefully cradling the emerging baby to prevent any risk of slipping onto the concrete surface. The experienced fire crew worked together to ensure both mother and baby remained safe during the unexpected outdoor delivery.
A hospital doctor soon arrived to take over the medical aspects of the delivery, after which Dan was able to cut the umbilical cord himself. Remarkably, within just ten minutes of the dramatic car park birth, the relieved parents and their healthy newborn were safely inside the hospital, where they posed for celebratory photographs with their unexpected emergency 'midwives'.
Grateful Parents and Professional Reflection
"We'd like to say a big thank you to everyone involved – not least Lewis, who had a call-out to remember," Dan expressed gratefully. Emily added with humour: "It wasn't quite the home birth we'd been planning."
For trainee firefighter Lewis, the experience provided powerful insight into the varied nature of emergency service work. "Already in my short career, I've learned the role of a firefighter is incredibly varied," he reflected. "We're just happy we could help the new parents and their new arrival. It's definitely a call-out I'll remember forever."
The incident highlights how emergency service personnel must constantly adapt to unpredictable situations, with firefighters regularly finding themselves providing assistance far beyond their traditional firefighting duties. The successful outcome demonstrates the importance of comprehensive emergency response training and the ability to remain calm under pressure in unexpected circumstances.
