THE firefighters at Mfuleni Fire and Rescue are more for than just putting out fire. They also hot stuff at delivering healthy babies into the world.
Mfuleni firefighters set a record number of fire station deliveries with three deliveries since December, however firefighter Lungiswa Maqubu delivered the fourth baby on her own on Sunday.
Kicking off the festive season, two of their staff members helped deliver a baby boy on 1 December 2024 and on 12 December, another two firefighters at the station helped deliver a healthy baby girl.
This past Friday, 17 January, an expectant mom arrived at Mfuleni Fire Station at 1.35pm.
Her baby arrived 20 minutes later, with the assistance of firefighters on duty at the time. The mother and baby were transported to Khayelitsha Day Hospital via ambulance.
City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith said: “I would like to congratulate the firefighters for their swift response.
“It is a moment to be proud of and to cherish – our best wishes to the mother and her newborn. We are grateful that there were no complications and that everything went well.”
Firefighter Maqubu said this is a normal day at work and has helped deliver countless babies since starting out at Gugulethu Fire and Rescue, before moving to Mfuleni 11 years ago.
On Sunday, she delivered a seven-month-old premature baby boy all by herself as the other firefighters were out in Khayelitsha attending to a fire.
She says: “Maternity is included in our first aid. But the training and when it happens in real life is totally different because then we do not use a doll but there is real life involved.”
“On Monday, a car arrived and I told the people that I am alone, they need to go to a hospital. But while I was talking, the woman who accompanied them said, ‘sisi, the baby is coming out’ so I had to do something.
“I caught the baby and luckily the ambulance arrived before I cut the umbilical cord.”