By Paul Paterra, Tribune-Review
Original publication date: Aug. 10, 2011

GREENSBURG, Pa. — Rick and Ashley Harmon were driving to Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital on Tuesday morning for the birth of their fourth son, but baby Lukas had other ideas.

Rick Harmon delivered his son — with some help from a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher — at 6:22 a.m. in his 2000 Silverado. The birth took place in the parking lot of Long’s Catering in Crabtree, just seven minutes after he called 911 for the first time in his life.

“I was afraid something like this would happen with baby No. 4, being that baby No. 3 only took three hours,” Ashley Harmon said. “It definitely was a lot quicker than expected.”

“I was just planning to go to work,” Rick Harmon said. “I’m glad I didn’t leave early.”

Ashley Harmon, 28, said she was awakened with contractions at about 4:30 a.m. at their home in Clarksburg in Indiana County. There had been false alarms in the past, so she was not initially concerned. Lukas wasn’t due to arrive until Aug. 17.

“I just figured the contractions would go away, but they didn’t,” she said. “When I laid back down, I figured I’ll go back to sleep, but no. … It was time.”

They started the 45-minute trip to the hospital, but they were forced to stop about 25 minutes later.

“Once we got into Crabtree I said, ‘That’s it, I can’t go no further, this baby is coming, and you have to pull over,’ ” Ashley Harmon said. “We looked for a place, and there was Long’s Catering on the side of the road, and we pulled into their parking lot. I was already putting the seat back and starting to get undressed.”

Bill Hazlett, an emergency services dispatcher for 14 years, received the call at about 6:15 a.m. from a “frantic” Rick Harmon.

“He was very excited,” Hazlett said. “The baby was already on its way out.”

Hazlett said he instructed Harmon to clean the baby, check his airway and tie the umbilical cord.

“We had him out, and we didn’t really know what to do with him,” Rick Harmon said. “They talked us through it, told us to dry him off, dry his mouth off. They told me I had to tie the umbilical cord, but I didn’t have a string. They said use your shoestring. … I had a knife; cut my shoestring. … It was crazy.”

“With all the training they put us through, you get to be pretty comfortable with what you’re doing in providing the most accurate instructions over the phone,” Hazlett added. “If he sees you’re calm and constantly giving the appropriate instructions, it calms him down.”

Mother and child are doing fine, aside from minor bruising on the baby’s face. Lukas checked in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 19 inches.

He joins his three older brothers — Logan, 8; Landon, 6, and Levi, 5.

Hazlett was delighted about his role in such a happy occasion.

“With the immense amount of stress we (deal with), this is one of the calls that’s rewarding to us,” he said.

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