By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Fort Leonard Wood’s firefighters train for long hours to battle dangerous blazes, but on Sept. 1, 2026, they answered a call of a completely different nature — helping an Army family welcome a rapid-delivery newborn.

What began as an ordinary day at their on-post residence quickly turned into a high-stakes, unforgettable milestone for Tatyana Tisdale and her husband, Sgt. Daiquan Tisdale, who serves at the 43rd Adjutant General (Reception) Battalion.

Expecting their first child, the couple said they did not anticipate that labor would progress in mere minutes. Tatyana said when she recognized that something was changing rapidly and felt the baby’s head crowning, they immediately dialed 911.

Firefighter Gregory Record, a 17-year veteran of the Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department from Licking, Missouri, noted that while the department regularly trains for childbirth and he has responded to numerous labor-related calls, he had never actually assisted with a delivery until now.

“This was the first call I responded to where labor was imminent, and we knew we were going to be delivering a baby,” Record said.

He wasn’t alone in this milestone. Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department Capt. Brandon Bradstreet, of Richland, Missouri, found himself in the same unfamiliar territory, marking the event as a monumental moment for his career.

“This was my very first field delivery,” Bradstreet said. “Imminent childbirth calls are relatively rare for departments in smaller communities.”

Daiquan said his instincts immediately took over as he supported his wife, but he was incredibly grateful when the Fort Leonard Wood first responders arrived to take over.

“When EMS and the fire department walked through the door, it was an immediate relief. They had our backs 100%,” Daiquan said.

Bradstreet’s crew led the way, arriving as the initial first-responders on the scene.

“We quickly assessed the situation and gathered the patient’s history,” Bradstreet said. “I assisted in positioning the mother, prepped the obstetrics medical kit and ensured every piece of equipment was staged and ready as the delivery progressed.”

Record said he immediately focused on comforting the expectant mother and “assuring her we were there to help.”

Paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after. Gillian Combs, a paramedic with Fort Leonard Wood Emergency Medical Services, who lives in St. Robert, Missouri, noted that while maintaining flexibility is standard operating procedure, she — much like her colleagues in the fire department — never expected to be setting up a delivery site so rapidly.

“I keep a very open mind en route to all calls,” Combs said. “There is normally a lot of things lost in translation between what’s going on dispatch-wise and what we find on scene. I didn’t initially expect to deliver in the house.” Working together, firefighters and EMTs established a controlled environment within the home to safely assist the family.

“Everyone went into action in the limited space to help however they could,” Record said.

As firefighters assisted in providing equipment to the EMTs, Record said he went to work coaching Tatyana through breathing techniques and “gave her a hand to hold when she needed to squeeze something.”

For Record, the most agonizing moment of the entire experience was the heavy, quiet anticipation — waiting to hear that first, crucial cry.

“After the baby was born and crying, I looked at the father and said mom would probably much rather hold your hand right now,” Record said. “Stepping back, I was able to see the absolute joy and happiness over their new baby boy.”

Hearing that first, unmistakable cry was an unforgettable milestone that Bradstreet said he will never forget. “Having no children of my own, hearing those first strong cries and sharing in the parents’ joy was deeply meaningful,” Bradstreet said. “Being able to support an Army family during such a momentous life event is something I will carry with me for the rest of my career.”

Record said the firefighters and EMTs were a “great team.”

“We provided the needed equipment and support for the mother, and they ensured the baby was taken care of,” Record said.

Bradstreet agreed and said he “could not be prouder of our firefighters and the medics involved. On a high-stress, low-frequency call, the entire team maintained total composure, compassion and professional coordination.”

And the crews worked together “seamlessly.”

“Both teams integrated effortlessly to provide the highest standard of patient care,” Bradstreet added.

Sharing those feelings, Combs credited her battle buddies from the fire department for their crucial support “From handing equipment and making room to work, to cheering mom and dad on, the fire department was invaluable,” Combs said.

The firefighters’ duties didn’t end with the delivery — they continued to provide vital support during the transport to General Leonard Wood Community Hospital.

“Getting mom downstairs safely required tight collaboration, the right equipment and the right people. Everyone was fully involved,” Combs said.

Once the initial rush subsided and Record had time to reflect on the call, he found himself in awe of the experience and the sheer resilience and strength of motherhood.

“It is amazing being able to help bring a new life into this world and see the joy and happiness and the parent’s faces, as well as the other emergency services personnel,” Record said. “Mom was amazing.Throughout the entire experience she kept a positive attitude, expressed her appreciation for everyone there, and shouted her pride in an all-natural birth on the way to the ambulance.”

(Editor’s note: Debbie Thompson, General Leonard Wood Community Hospital, contributed to this article.)