Delran Police Officer Helped Deliver Baby In Midst Of Nor'easter

DELRAN, NJ — When a nor’easter blasted the state last month, an expectant mother-to-be found herself trapped inside her Delran home, just as her child was getting ready to enter the world.

A Delran police officer and a Burlington County dispatcher worked together to help ensure the safe delivery of her baby in the home, officials said on Monday.

Delran Police Patrolman Keith Upton responded to the Feb. 2 phone call concerning a mother who had gone into labor in her home, officials said. It quickly became clear the baby was not waiting for anything. She was ready to be born right then and there.

Burlington County Dispatcher Mark Boyd had taken the call, and he was able to talk Upton and the father through the delivery, officials said. Ten minutes after the call came in, the healthy 5-pound, 10-ounce baby girl was born.

Both the mother and newborn were later taken to an area hospital as a precaution, and both were reported in good condition, officials said.

For their actions, Boyd and Upton were recognized by the Burlington County Board of Commissioners with Certificates of Recognition.

“The stork may have been grounded by the weather but Dispatcher Boyd and Officer Upton rose to the occasion and provided a huge assist to this new mom and dad and the baby girl they safely welcomed into the world,” Commissioner Dan O’Connell, liaison to the Burlington County Department of Public Safety, said. “Our entire Board wish to extend our congratulations to the new mother and father and also to Dispatcher Boyd and Officer Upton for a job well done.”

“These public safety professionals deserve all the praise and accolades we can extend to them for their service,” Delran Mayor Gary Catrambone said. “With their cool assistance, Delran welcomed its newest resident and made both our Township and entire county proud.”

Catrambone and Delran Councilman Tyler Burrell both participated in the ceremony to honor Upton, a 21-year veteran of the police department, and Boyd, who has been with Central Communications for 10 years.

The Burlington County Central Communications, based in Westampton, answered more than 1,000 emergency calls, and dispatchers assisted with more than 2,700 police, fire and EMS incidents during the three-day storm, which went from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2, according to officials.

“While plenty of people had off or worked from home during the storm, our highway crews, dispatchers and first responders were right there at their posts. Days like that are part of the job, but this incident provides a welcome reminder of how important all our public safety professionals are and the heroics they perform every day,” O’Connell said.

Last year, the agency fielded 179,506 911 calls and 753,333 non-emergency calls. Dispatchers also assisted with 553,426 police calls, 29,741 fire calls and 55,531 emergency medical service calls, according to officials.

The agency provides police dispatch service to all 33 police agencies in Burlington County and fire and emergency medical dispatch service for all municipalities in the county.