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Weymouth officer, dispatcher, paramedic help mother give birth at home

WEYMOUTH, Mass. — Little Olivia Salas was in a hurry to come into the world on Saturday. And Weymouth Police Officer Paul Torino was one of the first to greet her.

"I came into work. I went thru roll call and immediately got dispatched for a woman giving birth," Torino said.

Torino rushed to the family's Weymouth apartment, where 23-year-old Filomena Salas was in the bathtub and about to give birth.

"She was crowning. It was coming and there was no stopping it," Torino said.

Torino was not alone. On the phone, a dispatcher helped keep Mom and Dad - 25-year-old Joe Lewandowski - calm, and right behind him was paramedic Michelle Rzasa.

"We pulled up same time as police and we ran right in and ran in as mom was delivering the baby," Rzasa said.

It was a team effort, including Mom and Dad.

"He was doing the best to help his wife obviously in a lot of stress and pain," Torino said.

No sooner did the two enter the cramped bathroom than Olivia entered the world.

"No seconds…. Seconds," Rzasa said. "He kind of started to catch the baby, I came right in behind him and she slid right out into our hands.”

A whimper or too from Olivia aassured everyone she was OK.

For Torino, a father of two, being at his own kids' births was helpful.

"There’s nothing like life experience," Torino said.

And for paramedic Rzasa, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"We’re there a lot of the time when people are in a lot of trouble and often taking their last breath," Rzasa said. "And it was such a privilege to be there to be able to have this little one and have her take her first breath."