Open Airways: Stories from the back of the ambulance
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Imminent Birth
Robert Linnell
“My partner comes in and says, ‘Oh, what happened?’ And I said, ‘Ah, it looks like we had a baby, huh?’” Click to hear the whole story, as Robert Linnell, Paramedic Captain/Supervisor with L.A. City Fire, describes “the mixed feelings and joy of delivering a baby in the field.”
Open Airways is a project to capture an oral history for the benefit of the EMS Community. EMS responders share some of the most meaningful cases of their careers, sometimes with humor and always with compassion. We hope that they will help us improve your practice and inspire a new generation of caregivers.
This series is produced by FISDAP with the support of EMSResponder.com. Listen to the latest features here and look for the series archive at openairways.net.
To share your most meaningful case and the lesson it taught you, call FISDAP Open Airways at 1.651.314.7424


good job sounds like you had your handsfull.
I just became a EMT-B by passing my National Registry, I am looking forward to getting in the field. But that there must have been a very scary experience as well as a fulfilling one, keep up the good work!
Have been in the field for one birth. I was still really in class. All I can remember the EMT saying before birth was “this will be the test to see if you can stand the job”. I’m still doing it to this day and loving every min of it!
How could you really understand them if the spoke spanish. That was a funny Story.