One day, these unsuspecting firemen were required to go above and beyond their usual remit. And it made for a truly remarkable story.

A bunch of firefighters were enjoying a normal day at their fire house, when suddenly a car approached at speed. A panicked-looking man got out and ran towards them, but there was no way the firemen could have predicted what was about to happen.

Bergandi and Zach Mcelwain are a Missouri-based couple with what can only be described as an incredible story. It all started back in November 2017, when something happened that attracted the attention of local news outlets.

The Jefferson County couple already had two sons under the age of four. But by late 2017 Bergandi was heavily pregnant again, expecting the third addition to the family to arrive any day. However, things didn’t quite go according to plan.

Bergandi was not with her husband when the first contractions began. So, she called him right away to let him know that the baby was on its way. There was no need to panic at this point, though, as Bergandi was confident that she still had hours to go.

That’s because with her first two pregnancies the labor lasted a long time. Her children had taken between eight and 12 hours to arrive, so the couple expected the same kind of pattern this time around. But they couldn’t have been more wrong.

After getting the call, Zach came to collect his wife. It was only an hour after Bergandi had called to let him know that the contractions had started, but the couple decided that there was no time like the present. So they start making their way over to St. Clare hospital to prepare for the new arrival.

Everything was going smoothly up until the point they got into the car. As they were driving along, Bergandi’s water suddenly broke. It was then that the couple realized that things were happening a lot faster than they had expected.

Speaking to Fox News in November 2017, Zach recalled what was going through his mind when his wife’s water broke on the way to the hospital. “We’re not gonna make it,” he remembers thinking, before having to hatch a new plan.

Meanwhile, Bergandi was also certain that they weren’t going to get to the delivery room in time. She told Fox News how she could that tell the baby was coming fast. “I recognized the feeling since I’ve already been through it a few times,” she said.

At this point, Zach reached down to check if the baby was on its way. And it didn’t take long for him to grasp that things had escalated quickly. While they were still sitting in the car, Zach was able to feel the baby’s head.

It was crystal clear now that there was no chance of them getting to the hospital in time. So, Zach knew he had to think of something. He needed to get his wife somewhere safe, so he put his foot on the gas.

Before long, the couple arrived at a fire house situated about a mile away. When they pulled up, Zach jumped out of the car and ran to the building, hoping to find some help. Thankfully, his friend Andy was on duty that day.

“Andy, we’re about to have this baby, like, now!” Zach recalled telling his unsuspecting buddy. Next, the firefighters jumped into action and ran outside to help Bergandi, who was still sitting in the car in the fire station parking lot.

But the baby wasn’t waiting for anyone. The firefighters managed to put a call in to a neighboring fire house, where an ambulance was stationed. And though the ambulance raced to the scene, it wasn’t quite fast enough. Before it could arrive, the firefighters were forced to start delivering Bergandi’s baby.

At one point, the umbilical cord became wrapped around the baby’s neck, causing Bergandi to panic. Happily, though, the firefighters were able to disentangle it and continue with the delivery. Before long, the baby was out, and he was safe and well.

Zach and Bergandi were delighted to welcome their third boy into the world, especially in such unusual circumstances. The couple had hoped that their new arrival, named Halston, might be the most relaxed of their brood, but now they’re not so sure.

Bergandi told Fox News how she had wanted Halston to be a “calm, collected and sobering” child. But judging by the way he entered the world, it seems as though the newest addition to the Mcelwain family might be more of a handful than expected.

“We think he’s gonna be fast and furious,” she told reporters as she lovingly held her newborn son in hospital. Bergandi joked that she already had a couple of troublemakers waiting at home, so, by the sounds of it, Halston will fit right in.

According to Fox News, the Mcelwains were filled with gratitude towards the firefighters who helped to safely deliver Halston on that fateful day. Bringing babies into the world might not be in their job description, but they did a sterling job nonetheless.

Baby number three gave his parents a bit of a shock by delivering so quickly, but thankfully, despite the very unusual circumstances, little Halston Mcelwain arrived safe and well. It’s safe to say that if there’s a next time, Bergandi and Zach won’t be hanging around before heading to the hospital.