Centre County 911 dispatcher gets ‘stork award’ after help with roadside delivery

At 3 a.m. on Sept. 8, Centre County 911 dispatcher Keara Tice was busy with expected calls related to Penn State’s home opener against Bowling Green — but what she didn’t expect was the call that came from a man parked near the Howard/Jacksonville Road exit on Interstate 80.

In that early-morning hour, Braden hurriedly called 911 and told Tice that his wife, Lauren, was about to have her second child — a moment that was filled with fear and panic, he said Tuesday.

Tice, recognizing that they wouldn’t be able to make it to the hospital in time for the baby’s delivery, called on the skills that she learned in training to help deliver the baby over the phone.

According to Trevor Harris, the supervisor on call that night at Centre County 911, in a situation like that, the dispatcher usually would direct the family to drive to an area to meet with an ambulance for the delivery. But there wasn’t time for that in this case.

Once Tice finished instructing the family on what to do, a healthy baby girl was brought into the world.

A dispatcher helping deliver a baby over the phone rarely happens in Centre County, according to county Commissioner Mark Higgins, who was among those awarding Tice a “stork pin” during Tuesday’s commissioners meeting.

Everly, the baby that Tice helped deliver, was also present at Tuesday’s meeting, along with her parents and her sister Adeline.

Harris recalled the rare event for his department and said he remains impressed with the help Tice was able to provide.

“Keara got to go through the whole birthing process, and it was a very successful call,” Harris said. “On behalf of the 911 department we want to congratulate Keara; she did a very good job and we’re really proud of her.”

According to Tice, the experience of helping birth a child over the phone was “crazy” and “insane,” and she never expected to carry out such a call before she even hit her two-year mark of employment with Centre County 911.

The Centre County Commissioners were also quick to commend Tice on her actions that night.

“Thank you so much for your work, Keara,” Commissioner Amber Concepcion said. “I think that’s such an amazing thing to be able to be a part of, and congratulations to the family too — I’m just so glad that this turned out so well. I’m sure that’ll be one of those stories that you tell her growing up.”

Before a photo could be snapped of the group, Braden stepped in and extended a final heartfelt “thank you” to Tice.

“You did a wonderful job — there was a lot going on in that little car,” Braden said. “You were a calm, peaceful voice and methodic with the steps, and that’s just it. Thank you, thank you for helping us bring another child in.”