BENTON COUNTY, Wash. – A Benton County Fire District One crew, along with a medic from the Kennewick Fire Department, recently experienced a unique call. They helped deliver a baby girl inside their ambulance.
On October 16, McKenzie and Armin, expecting their second child, found themselves in an unexpected situation. They thought they had enough time to reach the hospital, but baby Clara had other plans.
“When they said that baby was coming, I kinda was like, opened my eyes and looked at where I was on 397, and was like ok well this is gonna happen,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie shared that after a normal morning, things took a sudden turn. Armin called 911, and crews quickly arrived. Clara was born safely in the back of Ambulance 1122 around 10:30 a.m. She is the first girl in Armin’s family in 105 years, spanning five generations.
“Disbelief. Yeah, 105 years, it definitely took two ultrasounds for me to be sure that she was a girl,” McKenzie said.
Armin was in for a surprise as well. It wasn’t until the ambulance doors opened that he realized he was officially a girl dad.
“Yeah he stepped out of the ambulance and said congratulations. It didn’t really hit me right away,” Armin said.
This week, McKenzie, Armin, baby Clara and big brother Emmett reunited at Station 120. Firefighters surprised the family with firefighter-themed gifts and took turns holding Clara.
In a rural district covering miles from Finley to the Oregon border, moments like this remind crews why they serve. Baby Clara’s arrival brought joy to the fire station family.
Emmett plans to dress as a firefighter for Halloween, while Clara will be a Dalmatian. These costumes were planned before the surprise delivery, making Clara’s story even more special.
