This Post Stolen in its Entirety From KOMOTV News
I won’t add anything to this story. Find it at this link. To be clear, it’s not my writing. Still, it’s so remarkable I wanted to share. The blog seemed like a good venue.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – A 911 dispatcher was undergoing refresher training earlier this month when he took a call from a hysterical mother reporting that her baby was choking and couldn’t breathe.
When the woman gave her address, the trainee realized it was his own wife – and she was calling about his own child.
Nevertheless, he responded so calmly – dispatching medics on the call then advising the mother how to unblock the baby’s airway – that the dispatcher’s trainer had no idea the child was his own until after the baby’s airway was cleared and the call ended.
Here, in trainer Tammy Clark’s own words, is what happened that fateful afternoon of Feb. 4 when a 911 came in at 1:57 p.m. and was answered by the trainee, Chris Scott:
"I want to tell you about the call my trainee took today. Chris is a Marine reservist who just got back after a deployment to Iraq. He is in his final stages of training and while taking calls today he took a choking baby call.
"Chris calmly confirmed the hysterical woman’s address and gets help started in her direction. He stays calm throughout the call while going to the appropriate choking tab and starts to give pre-arrival instructions.
"After one full set of back blows the baby’s airway is cleared and the infant starts to cry. Chris stays on the line and ensures the baby’s breathing normally until the fire department arrives.
"After he gets off the phone I get up to tell him what a great job he did and that he saved the child’s life. Chris looks a little shaken and says ‘that was my baby.’ During the call I am completely unaware that the caller is his wife and the baby that is not breathing is Chris’s own son, Jakob.
"At that point we realize what had transpired and send him home to be with his wife and son. The baby was treated and released by the local fire department. Chris stopped by later with his wife and son in tow. What an amazing and wonderful call. … Semper Fi!"
Kindley Says: For a moment, put yourself in Chris’ place. Would your composure have been as measured and firm? Thanks or stopping by. Hope you can drop by again on Wednesday. Thanks, Galen.
Themocracy
Wow. That’s some good military training at work there, I think.
I’d sound more like that mom, I think. In fact, both of my kids choked on things when they were under the age of 3…my husband knocked out the obstruction for my son, and I knocked out the one for my daughter. It’s very, very scary–no air going in or out.
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
That is some SERIOUS and commendable composure indeed!
The Old Silly
I don’t know but I think it might be a good way to think about the importance of these jobs (that are often volunteer or pay lousy). We want them to act as if it is their families at stake. Maybe we should all behave as if everyone was our dear family. With the best we have to offer!
That story gave me goose bumps. He’s sounds like a very special individual. I’m afraid that I would not have been able to stay quite so calm.
Totally amazing. I don’t think I could have been that composed and calm. That department is very lucky to be getting him.
Awe inspiring. I’m sure I wouldn’t have remained calm, on either end of that call. Semper Fi indeed. He gets a salute from me.
I’ll bet he had some very shaky knees after the crisis was over. We are so lucky to have folks like this serving our country is so many ways. What a hero!
Chris’s handling of the situation says a lot for his training. He was cooly doing the job he was supposed to be doing and I sure was well aware that panic would be working against his own interests. I tend to be pretty level headed in most circumstances and if I had been on the other end of the phone like Chris, and with his training, I think calmness would have had to prevail for me as well.
Lee
First of all, thanks for sharing this with us Galen. This is an incredible story. Second of all, I’m only a little surprised that he was able to keep himself calm. Military training has a profound effect on anyone that goes through it. I know my own experiences in the military altered my mindset and gave me the tools to be who I am today. It’s not really something you can explain to someone either. Our military personnel are put in stressful situations like this, and they learn to cope and get the job done. It’s like a switch goes off in your head and you just do it. I hope that nothing like this ever happens to my children, but if it does, I hope that I can handle it as well as this man did. Semper Fi.
The man is truly amazing. Speaking with the benefit of distance, it is pretty obvious that what he did was the best thing to do – he was too far away to really do anything, and giving his professional best was the best for his child.
BUT, to be able to actually do it is amazing!