Baby Nariel came into the world in the early hours of last Monday, October 6th, in an ambulance run by the Volunteer Firefighters of the Municipality of Moita. It was the 15th life welcomed by the hands of this corporation’s operators in 2025, in a universe of more than 30 babies born inside emergency vehicles, according to data from INEM.
The situation is “always a risk” highlights the commander, Pedro Ferreira, when explaining that the difficulties faced by obstetric emergencies have been a challenge. Nariel’s mother, for example, was being transported to the maternity ward at Hospital Garcia de Orta, in Almada, due to the closure of the Hospital do Barreiro unit, which serves the family’s area of residence.
When the time comes, firefighters are ready to act. During the initial one-year training, they undergo a general module on childbirth and some elements move on to advanced, meaning that there is always an operator with this training in the pair in the ambulance.
All vehicles are equipped with birth kitswith items for use by firefighters attending the birth and for the baby’s first procedures. “There are always two, in case they are twins”, explains Pedro Ferreira.
In this episode, ‘DN Goes Out to the Street’ to visit this corporation, which already has a motto: “life doesn’t wait”.