Benjamin Franklin quipped, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” But nothing could have prepared Officer Amada Galaviz for what she would encounter on Sept. 16, 2009, as she left the station, eager to take on any presenting opportunity. A sworn offi- cer since January, Galaviz was green, but with a strong desire to learn. Little did she know that within minutes, she would be delivering a baby in the front seat of a car. “I had just logged on and was leaving the station to go start my shift. I pulled out and saw a vehicle getting off of 99 and Stanislaus, flagging me down. A Spanish-speaking man (in his car) approached my vehicle,” Galaviz said.
“I knew he needed help, so I asked him to pull over. He got out of his car and ran to the passenger side; he showed me that his wife was in labor. She was obviously too far along to make it to the hospital, so I called for EMS.”
Fernando Gonzalez and his wife, Olga, who had been in labor for merely an hour, were driving from their home in Kerman to Com- munity Regional Medical Center. As his wife’s labor pains increased, fear overtook Fernando, rendering him disoriented on the unfamiliar streets of Fresno.
“I was in the delivery room with my sister, so I have an idea of what labor looks like. Olga was panting, and I was trying to help her breathe,” recalled Galaviz. “She kept feeling her thighs, and I got the impression she was trying to tell her husband her water broke.”
Within the three to five minutes that Galaviz was with the labor- ing woman, the situation had taken a sharp turn. Galaviz’s job descrip- tion as police officer suddenly included the title of midwife.
Fernando “pulled down her pants and the baby was crowning. Obviously the baby was not going to wait. She pushed and the baby came out. A film was wrapped around the baby’s face, so I moved it out of the way, and she started to cry. I unwrapped the umbilical cord, which was wound around her neck, and placed her on the mother’s stomach.”
Instantly, EMS was on scene, relieving Galaviz from midwife duty.
“It all happened so fast,” said Galaviz. “I was so nervous—if instincts didn’t kick in, if the baby didn’t start to breathe…”
Police academy training focuses more upon saving lives, first aid, and CPR. Training on delivering babies is minimal.
Galaviz washed up and, translator in tow, made her way to the hospital, where she close the baby she’d just delivered—a healthy 7-lb., 19.8-inch baby girl named Valeria.
Be Prepared on the Roadway
Getting caught up in an emergency on the road can create an immedi- ate flurry of confusion. Here are a few tips for enlisting the help of police on the roadway:
• Never pull into the center divider. Always pull over to the right, prefer- ably on a wide shoulder. • Find the safest location away from traffic.
Turn on hazard lights and raise the car’s hood to attract the attention of police.
• Get out of the car and away from traffic, if possible. Many cars are rear-ended while parked on the side of the road. Waiting up on an embankment or on the sidewalk is the best option.
• If waiting in the car is the only option, stay seat belted to be better prepared for a rear-end or side-swipe collision.
• Most people only note their location every thirty minutes, and a great distance can be covered in the interim. While driving, always keep your location in the back of your mind. A law enforcement officer can’t find you quickly if you don’t know your location when calling 911.
• People are less threatened and more likely to call 911 by hearing someone yell “Fire.” If you are being assaulted, yelling “fire” is your best bet for capturing the immediate attention of those around you.
• Consider taking a CPR class to be prepared in case of an emergency. Call American Ambulance at 559.269.3265 for more information on classes.
