EAGLE GROVE — Aaron Carda has been a patrol officer in Eagle Grove for a little over a year.

He’s certainly encountered his fair share of unique situations while on duty. A call in late February, though, wound up being the surprise of his career.

On Feb. 21, Carda — the only officer on duty for the seven-person staff at the time — responded to a call of a female with labor contractions.

“I figured it was just another call and I would be on scene. We (the Eagle Grove Police Department) go to all the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls,” Carda said. “I was the first one on scene.

“I just wanted to assess the situation and do the best I could.”

Before long, Carda knew he was going to have to do much more.

“I got there and was told she was in labor,” Carda said. “One of the daughters, who was on scene, said the baby was coming.

“I told EMS and told dispatch I would do the best I could and be ready for it.”

Once Carda arrived, he took immediate action.

“EMS was close, but I knew the baby was coming soon,” Carda said. “I just had to take control and do what I needed to do.

“I saw the head of the baby and started to prepare for the delivery. Then we wrapped up the baby to keep it warm.”

Carda has been able to reflect on the circumstances now that time has passed.

“It took a couple of days to sink in after it happened — to realize what I did,” Carda said. “People found out and were telling me that I did a good job.

“It was a proud moment.”

Police officers are trained for a lot of situations, but delivering a baby isn’t exactly on the list.

“We just take every call as it is,” Carda said. “I try not to focus on what it is and just treat every call the same. I’m just always on my toes and ready for the unexpected.

“There is no training for delivering a baby. You go over it a little bit in the academy, but not necessarily to this extent.”

As time has passed, Carda has stayed in touch with the family and met the baby boy he helped bring into this world.

“I heard from the family a couple of weeks ago,” Carda said. “The baby is doing well.

“They said thank you for what you did. I was just happy that it all worked out.”

For his efforts, Carda was awarded a pin by Police Chief Ray Beltran at a recent Eagle Grove City Council meeting.

“We presented him with a pin and a certificate,” Beltran said.

Beltran, who has been in law enforcement for 26 years and the chief in Eagle Grove for seven, was shocked when he went through the calls the next day.

“I went through the calls and couldn’t believe what had happened,” Beltran said. “I talked to him and told him he deserved way more than just a pat on the back.

“As a police officer, you never know what you’re going to encounter. In my 26 years, I’ve never worked with anyone who delivered a baby. He’s less than a year out of the academy and he already has. I’m very proud of Aaron, and we all are blessed to see that mom and baby are doing well.”