Twin toddlers ran around a D.C. firehouse Wednesday, there to be reunited with a D.C. firefighter paramedic who delivered them in the field over a year ago.
This year, Dan Lottes won the department’s paramedic of the year award and meritorious pre-hospital care award.
In part it was due to his coolheaded and calm under pressure moments during a call on June 28, 2020.
While pregnancies are common calls for #DCsBravest, this was extraordinary. #DCsBravest Firefighter Paramedic Dan Lottes and Firefighter EMT Matt Mayhew delivered twins, both in breech, at a home in June 2020. Today, they’re awarded for their work and reunited with the family. pic.twitter.com/IPNyiIXJCD
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) December 22, 2021
Lottes was dispatched to a home to deliver a baby, a call he has seen before.
“OK, we’re going on a pregnancy call — done this 18 times throughout my career with D.C. I might have to deliver another baby, no big deal,” Lottes told WTOP.
When he got there he met Latonya Foster who told him the baby was on the way.
“I just went into went into game mode,” said Lottes.
He delivered baby boy Sincere and told dad to come cut the cord and was readying the transport to the hospital.
“And then she’s like, No, there’s another baby — and I was like, Oh my god. OK, let’s do this.”
Lottes delivered another boy, Santana, 15 minutes later.
He wanted to treat this like any other birth for the family. Lottes got the boys cleaned up for a first picture with their mother and father and let mom hold them for a little bit before transporting all three to the Washington Hospital Center.
And while the surprise second baby made this an already memorable call for Lottes, there was a complication. Both babies were breech births.
This means that a baby is born feet or butt first. It is rare and usually means an emergency C-section is needed. Something Lottes is unable to perform.
“The major concern there is maintaining their airway. And you literally have to lift the baby’s head off of the birth canal and keep their face off the birth canal and create a V around their mouth and nose,” said Lottes.
Luckily both boys came out happy and healthy.
Lottes told WTOP: “Being that I delivered breech twins in the field is probably a one in a million call for me.”
18 months later, Lottes got to meet Sincere and Santana after winning the two awards.
“I really wanted to see the twins and it was an amazing opportunity to see the twins and Miss Farley,” Lottes said.
