Polk County Fire crews reunite with family after emergency baby delivery

Firefighters reunite with newborn they helped deliver

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports from Highlands City in Polk County.

HIGHLAND CITY, Fla. - Every day, Polk County Fire crews answer calls for help, but one call in particular was very special – they helped welcome a new life into the world.

On Thursday, Marquise and Kaylee Hartle expressed their heartfelt gratitude as they shook hands with the Polk County dispatcher, firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs who helped deliver their week-old baby boy, Theodore.

"We're very faith-driven, and we believe the Lord gave us this group of people behind us to deliver this baby, and we're thankful for that," said Marquise. "If this is how it's supposed to look when these high-pressure moments come, then they got it. This is what they need."

The backstory:

On Aug. 19, shortly before 9:30 a.m., Kaylee went into labor at her home in Highland City. 

Marquise called 911, and little Theodore was delivered roughly four minutes after the firefighters arrived.

"It was a little nerve-wracking, but because of our training and how we learned to do these things, we always try to stay prepared," said George Gibson, a firefighter/paramedic. "It helps make it a lot smoother and calming in a more chaotic situation."

To commemorate the celebratory occasion, each of the first responders was pinned with a blue stork.

What they're saying:

"This incident right here encompasses everything from our dispatch and our dispatch notes when the 911 call came in to the notes delivered to our crews, our fast response, getting there, recognizing what needed to be done, and doing it great—delivering the baby and mom healthy and happy at the hospital," said Chief Shawn Smith with Polk County Fire Rescue.

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A healthy baby, Theodore is in good company with a six-year-old big brother and two sisters who are three and two. Although the birth didn't go exactly as planned, for mom, it was still a wonderful experience.

"They were a very instrumental part. I was not expecting to do it without my midwife, so I'm not comfortable to have been home and done it. Just being able to thank them and see them again," said Kaylee.