Emergency Dispatcher Helps Santa 'Deliver' An Early Bundle Of Joy

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — A Hudson Valley newborn really wanted a Friday the 13th birthday party and wasn't willing to wait to get to the delivery room, according to the Rockland County Sheriff's Department.

The Communications Division sprang into action to help a 37-year-old mother with the delivery of her baby in Garnerville, at about 11 p.m.

The caller told the 911 operator at the very beginning of the call that although the mom wasn't at the hospital yet, the baby was very much on the way.

Radio Operator Chakiera Locust wasn't fazed. She coached the caller and mother through a successful delivery, while her partner coordinated the response of Haverstraw Ambulance Corps, Rockland Paramedic Services and the Haverstraw Police Department who arrived just a few minutes after the baby was born.

With the hard part of the job behind them, the newborn infant and its mother were taken to Montefiore Nyack Hospital.

"Chakiera and all of her fellow Radio Operators are highly-trained emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs)," The Rockland County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on social media. "Every day, Chakiera helps callers deal with medical emergencies — both minor and critical. Working with field responders, she’s making a difference for the residents of Rockland County."