SALEM — When a pregnant Abi Szczechowicz told her husband, Chris, yesterday morning that the baby was coming, he knew the drill.
It was just after 8:30 a.m., and Chris, who works in the restaurant business in Boston, got home late and had only slept a few hours. Regardless, he was ready:
"So I get up, get ready, get the bags," Chris said. "And then she was on the bathroom floor."
Abi knew something was happening — and fast. She was right.
Emma Szczechowicz arrived minutes later weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces in the lobby of their Salem Common apartment building with the help of Salem firefighters, Atlantic Ambulance EMTs and Dad.
Chris called 911 as his wife crawled on the floor to the building lobby to get to the firefighters and EMTs quicker.
Salem Patrolman Victor Ruiz was the first on the scene and helped guard the front door so passers-by on the street didn't get a glimpse of the miracle of life in action.
Fire Capt. Dennis Levasseur responded to the scene next along with firefighters Matt Darisse and Paul Michaud.
"She was lying on her side. She was in a lot of pain. You could tell she was in a lot of pain," Levasseur said.
The firefighters helped calm down Abi, who was hyperventilating, and moved her to her back.
EMT Cyrstal Epstein, EMT Heather Ortins and paramedic Cheryl McCaffrey arrived on the scene next.
"The three of us showed up at the same time. I checked first, and she wasn't crowning," Epstein said.
Originally, the Szczechowiczes planned to deliver their baby at Massachusetts General Hospital due to complications during the pregnancy.
The EMTs knew there was no way the mother would make it to Boston because the contractions were so close together.
Now, they wanted to get her to Salem Hospital.
"After a minute, she said, 'I feel like I have to push right away.' She started delivering the amniotic sac first and then the baby's head came shortly after," Epstein said.
The EMTs arrived at 8:41 a.m., and the baby was delivered at 8:45 a.m.
Older daughter Lola, 2, wasn't around to see the delivery. Police Sgt. Kate Stephens arrived at the Washington Square apartment building also and took her to the park.
The EMTs helped the baby with its breathing and later brought it to Salem Hospital's Birthplace.
The baby is expected to come home tomorrow.
Abi called the firefighters and EMTs "amazing."
"They were calm; they helped me calm down," she said.
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