May 07--NEW HAVEN -- Dressed in a green Onesie, Johnny Solis wriggled in his father's arms before the Board of Aldermen meeting Monday night.
Though many of the eyes in the room were on the nearly three-month old infant, it was those that stood to the right of the guest that were being commended by the board.
Firefighters from Engine 17 and payloader driver Joe Soucie were commended by the aldermen for aiding Johnny's mother and father get to the hospital during Blizzard Nemo.
Lt. Gary Cole, and firefighters Jose Vargas, Shamika Lloyd, Raul Ginebra were the firefighters who received the commendation.
The night of the blizzard, Engine 17 was dispatched from the East Grand Avenue Fire Station a little after 10 p.m. to Blatchley Avenue, Cole said. The street is normally covered by another station, but that engine was stuck in the station.
Firefighters made their way to Blatchley Avenue and walked waist-deep in snow to get to the pregnant woman's house after the fire engine was blocked by two stuck snow plows.
The woman's husband was already outside shoveling and the woman was putting on her clothes, Cole said.
"He said 'alright we are ready to go,'" Cole said. "I said we aren't going anywhere right now."
The woman's water broke and she was having contractions every few minutes, Cole said.
Cole called his brother-in-law, Acting Battalion Chief Richard Rife, to see what the engine company should do. Leadership at the Fire Department decided to send the engine to the hospital.
"He said put her in the engine and bring her to the hospital," Cole said. "It's very rare to do that, to put a patient in the back of an engine or a police car."
Firefighters grabbed blankets and pillows just in case.
"I knew if we got stuck, we would (deliver) in the back of the engine," he said.
The engine went from Blatchley Avenue to Lombard Street, almost getting stuck three times during the journey. The crew then came upon nearly three feet of snow as it approached State and Humphrey streets. It looked like the end of the line for the engine, Cole said.
"I looked to my right and here comes a freaking payloader," he said.
He ordered Ginebra to cut the payloader off and sound the horn. Cole said he then got out and told the driver he was commandeering the pay loader to get a pregnant woman to the hospital.
Soucie, who then was working for Laydon Construction, agreed to head to the hospital, Cole said. Soucie wasn't familiar with the area and Cole sounded the horn when it was time to stop and make a turn, Cole said.
Soucie's payloader made short work of the snow until it made it to the Knights of Columbus Museum corner, which took about 15 minutes to dig out, Cole said. It then made it to Yale-New Haven Hospital before the woman gave birth.
Engine 17 and the payloader then went on an impromptu mission to dig out Engine 6, six ambulances, two National Guard vehicles, a United Illuminating truck and Fire Chief Michael Grant's vehicle, which had to be abandoned in the middle of the blizzard, Cole said.
The payloader stayed with the department from 10:30 that night until about 7:30 the next night, Cole said.
"Sometimes, life has an interesting way of setting the stage for such an anticipated event. Surely neither of you expected to be faced with a massive and historic northeaster during the labor and delivery. But not even winter storm Nemo could stand in the way of Johnny's arrival on February 10, 2013," said Alderman Ernie Santiago. Then cheering, "Go Johnny.
He later added to the firefighters and Soucie, "Ultimately and most importantly we know that it was your strength and resilience during this heroic endeavor that played the biggest role in ensuring that Johnny arrived into the world healthy and strong."
Though Soucie is a three-time dad himself, he regarded the night of the Blizzard as one he'll never forget.
"It was the most rewarding night of my life. But these guys are the real heroes," he said motioning to the firefighters. "For me to be a part of all of it, it was an honor."
Call Rich Scinto at 203-789-5748.
Copyright 2013 - New Haven Register, Conn.
