05/03/11 Marshall County Sheriff Tom Chamberlin presented a certificate for Outstanding Performance to Jill Middaugh, a dispatcher for the department during the Commissioner’s meeting Monday.
Chamberlin said, “Jill got a call that you don’t handle on a regular basis and it not only changed her life but the lives of three other people.”
The County’s 9-1-1 Coordinator Matt Pitney said, “Day in and day out my dispatchers are there answering calls but this was an awesome experience.” He then explained that John Rowe had called 9-1-1 at 5:19 a.m. on April 18th and told the dispatcher, Jill Middaugh, that his girlfriend, Alicia was in labor and they were in the area of State Road 17 and S.R. 8. He wasn’t sure that they could make it to the hospital. Middaugh told him to pull over and check the mother. Rowe said, “I can see a head.” She then talked him through the delivery step through step. Once the baby was born she asked him what it was and Rowe said, “Beautiful!”
Pitney said, “The whole event was less than 10 minutes.” And Middaugh commented, “It felt like 10 hours.” She said after the delivery it was still several minutes until emergency responders got to the scene and since it was rainy and only 38 degrees outside she told John how to keep the baby warm.
The results were a beautiful baby boy, John Junior born right there in the front seat of the truck.
John Rowe said, “Jill’s expertise really calmed the air when I was so nervous.”
