Firefighters honored after helping deliver a baby girl
Photo: City of Sanford
By: Megan Boisvert, City of Sanford Communication Coordinator
It was a call unlike most others. In the early hours of a July morning, Sanford Fire Department crews were dispatched to a home where a woman was in active labor. Their plan was straightforward, assess the patient, begin transport, and get her safely to the hospital. But the newborn had other plans, she was ready to meet the Fire Department staff.
Firefighter/Paramedics Edward Moffitt and Issiac Hooper, Firefighter/EMTs Caleb Cole and Joseph Wilber, along with Captain Scott Chase, soon found themselves delivering a healthy baby girl before reaching the hospital.
“In that moment, they were not just firefighter medics. They became part of a family’s story, the first hands to welcome a new life into the world. That’s something no textbook can teach, and no protocol can fully prepare you for. It takes heart, it takes courage, and it takes the kind of dedication that defines the very best of our incredible staff here in Sanford,” said Fire Chief Scott Susi.
The Stork Award is more than a recognition of skill. It’s a tribute to compassion, calm under pressure, and the ability to bring new life into the world under extraordinary circumstances. At the September 16, 2025, City Council meeting, the crew was formally honored with the award, a distinction that celebrates EMS providers who assist in the delivery of a child in the field. The recognition was presented not only by the City of Sanford, but also by Marc Minkler of Maine Emergency Medical Services and the Maine EMS for Children program, who highlighted how rare it is for a baby to be delivered outside a hospital setting and commended the crew for their exceptional efforts.
“In my 22 years of service, I have only seen this happen twice,” Chief Susi said. “It’s a unique situation, and one that highlights why we do what we do. These moments remind us that beyond the chaos and unpredictability of emergency medicine, we also get to celebrate life in its purest form.”
For the firefighters, it was a call they will remember for a lifetime. For the family, it was reassurance that in their time of need, Sanford’s first responders were there to deliver not just emergency care, but hope, safety, and new life.
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