Page 56 - July 2017 Newsletter

f cers use CP to sa e fe of re ature a
n BY DAN CAMPANA
When Field Training Officer Mark Palazzolo and Officer Maritza Bautis- ta arrived at a Little Village home on June 12, they walked into something they’d never seen before.
The call came in for a 26-year-old
woman who had given birth in a base-
ment bathroom, where she sat with a
premature newborn baby girl in her
hands with her umbilical cord still at-
tached. A quick assessment determined the girl was unre- sponsive and not breathing, Palazzolo recalled.
“It’s at that point our training kicks in and we begin to provide CPR to the child,” he added, noting that they ra- dioed medics upon arrival.
Because of the bathroom’s tight space, Bautista did her best to work with the mother, who said she was 34 weeks pregnant and home alone when she experienced pains that prevented her from doing anything other than call- ing 911 before the baby’s birth.
“I think she was horrified, but when we arrived, we tried
to keep her calm and asked how far along she was in the pregnancy,” Bau- tista said. “I told her everything was going to be OK and paramedics were on their way.”
Both officers noted how parental instincts emerged, with police train- ing quickly following, during this scenario.
“For me, I think it’s being a mom myself,” Bautista said of what guided her through the moment, adding, “My
partner took complete control of the situation and that helped keep me calm and focused on what I was doing.”
Paramedics arrived within four minutes and took the child to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was stabilized by medical personnel. During a news briefing, Palazzo- lo congratulated the family on the baby’s arrival before pointing out that officers have to be ready for anything, including situations which go beyond the usual training.
“Nothing can fully prepare you for that type of inci- dent,” he said. d
56 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JULY 2017