Mundelein and Countryside firefighter/paramedics were honored Wednesday for saving the life of a newborn baby after they performed CPR and other medical care on it, officials said.
Crew members from the Mundelein Fire Department and Countryside Fire Protection District responded recently to a 911 call for an imminent birth.
When they arrived, the baby was partially delivered feet-first with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck, the Mundelein Fire Department said.
The crews worked quickly and decisively to deliver the baby, officials said.
The baby’s heart rate was critically slow so the crew began CPR. The baby began to cry after a few moments and its heart rate returned to normal, fire officials said.
The mother and baby were both transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for further care.
The mother and baby were released from the hospital a few days later without further complications.
Advocate Condell Medical Center Dr. Robert Rosenberg and the labor and delivery staff met with the firefighter-paramedics on Wednesday to thank them for their efforts.
“The Countryside guys and Marcin (Bednarski) did a great job. It was a real team effort,” Mundelein firefighter-paramedic Ben Newman said.
“Though the crews were from two different fire departments, they worked seamlessly to provide the highest level of care while producing an ideal outcome,” Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Chuck Smith said.