LaMoure EMS Volunteers Honored After Emergency Home Birth, Rural Care Concerns Raised
Three LaMoure volunteer EMS members received the North Dakota EMS for Children Early Bird Award after assisting with an unexpected home birth on Oct. 28. The rapid response and award highlight both the lifesaving role of volunteer responders and the ongoing strains on rural emergency medical services that matter to Stutsman County residents.
On Oct. 28 LaMoure Community Volunteer EMS members Nancy Noot, Taylor Clark and CPR driver Lori Gentzkow were honored with the North Dakota EMS for Children Early Bird Award stork pin after responding to an unexpected out of hospital birth. The crew arrived in about 10 minutes and assisted with the safe delivery of Brandi Dohrich’s daughter Raina, an outcome that underscores the narrow margins that can separate safe maternal and newborn outcomes from tragedy in rural settings.
“They got here extremely fast, and they delivered her and helped take care of both of us,” Dohrich said, describing the calm and skill of the volunteers during the delivery. The award recognizes the crew’s quick action and the specialized attention required when neonatal needs arise outside a hospital setting.
Out of hospital births remain rare but carry elevated clinical risks that demand trained personnel and appropriate equipment at the scene. In rural counties like LaMoure and Stutsman the nearest hospital or labor and delivery service can be many miles away, which leaves volunteer EMS teams to manage higher acuity situations during the critical first minutes after birth. That reality brings public health implications for maternal and infant survival and for equitable access to emergency care.
Rural EMS agencies statewide face persistent challenges including limited funding, rising equipment costs, and difficulty recruiting and retaining volunteer staff. Those pressures shrink capacity and can increase response times, placing greater responsibility on small teams to provide advanced care with limited resources. The LaMoure call and subsequent recognition illustrate both the value volunteers bring to their communities and the vulnerability of the safety net they represent.
For Stutsman County residents the incident is a reminder that community investment in local EMS matters. Supporting recruitment efforts, advocating for sustainable funding at the county and state level, and ensuring access to neonatal and pediatric training and equipment are practical steps to strengthen rural emergency care. The stork pin awarded to Noot Clark and Gentzkow celebrates a successful rescue, and it also signals the need for continued attention to the systemic supports that keep mothers and newborns safe across rural North Dakota.
