NC firefighters babysit children for family during medical emergency

HARRISBURG, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) -- Firefighters in Harrisburg responded to a medical call this week, but what they had to do when they got there left one local family extremely grateful. 

"We were dispatched for a medical call and [when we] got there the patient needed to be transported along with his wife, so the parents had to leave with two children in the house."

Firefighters in Harrisburg take their jobs seriously and are willing to step in and do whatever is necessary, even if it means babysitting. 

"We all knew what needed to be done. So, we needed to get the family the medical help they needed right away and it just became natural that we were all ready to just take care of the kids until grandma and grandpa were able to get there and take over."

But their grandparents were 45 minutes away. Engine 3 decided they would take over and keep the 1 and 7-year-old's entertained. 

"I played hot wheels with the 7-year-old and Cooter took him outside and around the block. Walked the little boy pushed him in his little car and kept him occupied."

None of the firefighters have children but they do have experience putting smiles on children's faces. In September, they threw a very special birthday party for 3-year-old Jackson, whose friends canceled on his party.

"It really became a much bigger deal than we expected because it wasn't something that was a big deal to us. We were just there to take care of Jackson and help him have a good day and everybody in the whole community really appreciated it."