SCARBOROUGH — For the second time in his career, emergency dispatcher Mike Mains received an award this week for his role in the delivery of a baby.

His most recent participation, however, was slightly different than the first.

Mains’ co-workers surprised him Tuesday at the Public Safety Building with a stork-themed cake inscribed, “It’s a boy! Job well done Mike,” and the Stork Award – a small blue pin embossed with storks, and an orange stork club mug – from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

Mains, a Buxton resident, has been a public safety dispatcher with the town for nine years. Prior to that, he spent nine years as a dispatcher in Buxton, for which Scarborough now provides dispatch services. Mains has also worked as a firefighter and as an emergency medical technician at Buxton Fire & Rescue for about 14 years.

Around 7 a.m. on July 5, he received a call from a woman who said her daughter-in-law was in labor with her third child in rural Buxton.

She had been in labor since around 2 a.m., but things started progressing rapidly and the mother needed an ambulance. Mains used his EMS training and the computerized dispatch program to help the family, while routing an ambulance to their location.

But the baby boy wasn’t waiting and made his appearance minutes into the call, with assistance from the father.

Mains remained on the line with the family until EMTs arrived.

“It is common to get people in labor, but uncommon for them to actually deliver the baby,” said Ashley Knight, the lead dispatcher and supervisor who was on shift and listened in on the call.

In the eight years she has been a dispatcher, Knight said, she does not know of any other time expectant parents had to be coached by dispatch through a birth.

Neither had Mains.  

“You never know what you are going to get when you pick up the phone,” Mains said Tuesday. “I like helping people. It is part of what I do.”

Knight said she thought Mains was one of the best dispatchers to receive such a call and, true to form, he remained very relaxed and composed during the emergency.

Mains shared his first Stork Award with his wife, Kristina, who is a paramedic. The couple was recognized when they helped deliver a baby in Buxton about 14 years ago.

Both received the blue pins shaped like storks, to represent a baby boy.

Melanie Sochan can be reached at 781-3661 ext.106 or msochan@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @melaniesochan.

Scarborough public safety dispatcher Mike Mains received a Stork Club award from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch for his role in delivering a baby July 5.

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