EVANSVILLE, Wis. — A Rock County family is celebrating a very special arrival — one that came with flashing lights, a flurry of first responders and a liquor store parking lot turned delivery room.
A few weeks back, a pregnant Jessica Kramer was driving when she felt two strong contractions.
“My water broke — I knew she was coming,” Kramer said.
With no time to make it to the hospital, she pulled into the nearest parking lot, frantically dialing 911. The call was quickly relayed through Rock County Dispatch. “A lady feels the urge to push,” came the alert.
Deputies Matthew McCormack and Christina Feirn were nearby, just minutes away from the Evansville Spirits store.
“401, I’m just down the road,” McCormack radioed.
When the deputy duo arrived at the liquor store parking lot, Kramer was already in active labor, alone in her car. McCormack stayed focused on her as Feirn moved to assess the situation.
“I just knew I had to stay calm. If I could be that calm presence, even for three minutes, that would help her.”“I knew she was going through more pain than I could imagine,” McCormack said. “I just knew I had to stay calm. If I could be that calm presence, even for three minutes, that would help her.”
But things were moving fast. At the delivery, Feirn called out, “That baby’s coming now!”
As the situation escalated, she radioed to dispatch, asking urgently, “How far is EMS?”
Back at dispatch, the clock was ticking.
“They are not yet in route,” the dispatcher responded.
At that moment, Kramer reflected on what the deputies had done.
“They helped me stay calm. They made sure I wasn’t alone in that moment,” she said. “Just knowing they were there made all the difference.”
Just as the pressure mounted, backup arrived. Evansville EMS Chief Carolyn Kleisch and her crew quickly moved the laboring mom onto a stretcher and into their rig.
Meanwhile, volunteer firefighter Kyle, who is also Kramer’s husband, was racing to the ambulance.
“We were there just in time,” Kleisch said. “Kyle got to cut the cord, we got her all secured and we rushed to the hospital.”
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“It was crazy,” Kramer’s husband said with a smile. “Everyone’s joking that it happened in front of a liquor store. But hey, it’s a Wisconsin story.”
For Kleisch, this was no ordinary call. It was her first baby delivery in the field after 25 years in EMS.
“We did it,” Kleisch said, reflecting on the chaotic yet beautiful moment. “It was perfect.”
As a tradition, the ambulance was awarded a stork sticker, a mark of honor for crews who assist in delivering babies. Kleisch and her team also received stork pins in recognition of their heroic efforts.
Baby Kaitlin entered the world just 27 minutes after Kramer’s initial 911 call.
“She’s eating like a champ and growing like a weed,” Kramer said, beaming. “She’s a really good baby.”
