Six Calgary firefighters took a break from battling flames Thursday to help a Calgary family welcome a new baby into the world.

Around noon, a crew from the McKenzie Towne fire station, with the help of emergency medical services members, delivered a healthy baby boy at a home in Auburn Bay.

Battalion Chief Larry Fisher said the couple was expecting to deliver their second child at home with the help of a midwife; however, labour progressed much quicker than they had anticipated and they called for help.

“This was new for all of them (the firefighters),” said Fisher, adding they are trained to deliver babies.

Fisher said a call like this comes as a welcome break, as firefighters often deal with Calgarians when they are in the midst of a tragedy as opposed to a happy occasion such as childbirth.

“We’re saddled with the dark side of the news for a lot of our careers,” he said. “This is particular is something grand — something that will really pick them up and they’ll hold this for the rest of their career.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the baby boy had yet to be named.