After busy few weeks of emergency callouts, the members of the Elko Fire Department immediately jumped into action when their pagers went off in the wee morning hours of August 2nd. What they didn’t know at the time was that this call was going to change their lives forever.

“We got the call that a first-time mother was in labour and that the baby was coming,” explains Elk Valley & South Country Fire Deputy Chief Michael Hockley. “We arrived on scene and dad Ian was doing a great job. Minutes later at 1:56 am, a beautiful, healthy baby girl was born. It was surreal moment and one that every member of our team will remember forever.”

The baby, Alice Donna Vickery, and mom Jen were cared for by the firefighters until the BC Ambulance Service arrived and transported them to hospital in Fernie.

This is the first delivery for the department, and according to locals, Alice is the first baby physically born within the small community of Elko since 1934 as expecting moms generally go to hospital in Cranbrook or Fernie. To celebrate the occasion and mark this special milestone in the department’s history, the department presented Alice with her very own fire department t-shirt and a certificate making her an honourary member of the department.

The presentation was made during a regular practice night so the entire department could offer their congratulations and meet Elko’s newest resident.