spectator sport.

But that was the situation forced on Karen Kendall, who a year ago gave birth in a room full of firemen.

They were the first to the scene and tended to her when impatient Stacey began forcing her way into the world at the Kendall's home while an ambulance battled through rush hour traffic.

On Friday, exactly 12 months after the birth, the Kendalls visited Port Royal fire station to express thanks to Sgt Wendell Simmons, Troy Furbert, Josonne Smith and Gavin Carter.

However their faces were unfamiliar to Karen.

She said: "I enjoyed meeting them but I would not have recognised them if I had passed them in the street. I never saw them during the birth, I had my eyes closed.'' Karen, 41, recalls the birth: "We got ready to go to the hospital but we realised we would not be able to go because Stacey was coming too quick.'' The firemen were quickly there while the ambulance turned up 20 minutes later to their Warwick Park Road home.

The proud mum said: "I don't think they had done a birth before. They were saying `Breathe, breathe, don't push'. I thought that's easy for you to say.

Just get down there and catch it.'' The midwife arrived with 30 seconds to spare.

And the birth was as unusual as the circumstances, said Karen. "The water didn't break, that's supposed to be lucky.'' Instead Stacey was born still in the womb sack known as the caul, with the result looking a bit like a haggis, said Karen.

The absence of epidurals was a plus point for her. "When a mother doesn't have drugs the baby doesn't either so they come out more with it.

"I was hoping to have a home birth. Our first child Kayla, who's nearly four was born at home in Toronto. But we found out we couldn't do it here.

"It's a natural process, it's not an emergency.'' "But a lot of people still think we did this on purpose. We didn't.'' Her husband David said he had no time to panic: "It all went by so fast you don't really think anything, except when is that ambulance going to get here? "There were no complications and it went fine.

"It was born in the caul. I think if the midwife hadn't been there we would all have been a bit stumped about what to do then.'' Fireman Troy Furbert said: "She was in the major stages of labour. It was obvious child birth was imminent. Evidently the baby had a mind of its own.'' But fire officer Furbert said he was unphased about having to help out as firemen are now required to attend all 911 calls.

"We are trained in this and we have an obstetrics kit. It was a first for me but I think there have been three instances of this nature.

"You just try to keep everybody calm and reassure the whole family. The mother was relaxed, she did very well.

"I have two children, it's not new to me. We were there for about 35 minutes.

It was an easy birth. They were a little surprised by the speed of the labour.

It obviously took them off guard.'' And he enjoyed meeting Stacey again in less stressful circumstances.

"She's extremely alert and social toddler. She was going to anyone willing to hold her.''