Firefighter delivers baby in hospital parking lot during call | Health and Wellness

By Adam Dutton

A trainee firefighter turned midwife to help deliver a baby boy in a hospital car park after a routine call-out turned into a genuine emergency.

Lewis Smith, 26, had been responding to call at Birmingham Women’s Hospital which turned out to be a false alarm on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

But then he spotted frantic Dan Hyams running towards him shouting that his wife was about to give birth in the car park.

The dad-to-be had driven wife Emily to hospital from their home in Kings Heath, Birmingham – but did not make it inside in time.

Dan said: “By the time I’d run to get the parking ticket and back to the car, Emily was walking towards the hospital.

“We were about fifteen meters from reception when Emily said, ‘The baby’s coming!’.”

Dan ran into reception and shouted for help from West Midlands Fire Service firefighters Lewis, Russ Edwards and Meshach Reid.

The three ran outside where they found Emily on the ground in the stages of advanced labour.

As Dan started to deliver his son, Lewis helped to support the baby and make sure he didn’t slip to the floor.

A doctor took over, before Dan cut the umbilical cord.

Within ten minutes, the delighted parents and their newborn were inside having a photo taken with their unexpected ‘midwives’.

Dan added. “We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved – not least Lewis, who had a call-out to remember.”

Emily said: “It wasn’t quite the home birth we’d been planning.”

Trainee firefighter Lewis, who joined WMFS in July 2025, said: “Already in my short career, I’ve learned that the role of a firefighter is incredibly varied.

“We’re just happy we could help the new parents and their new arrival. It’s definitely a call-out I’ll remember forever.”