ELKRIDGE, Md. (WJZ) — A nervous father and an experienced Howard County dispatcher teamed up Tuesday morning to deliver a baby who was coming fast. It happened on the side of Route 100 near Columbia.

Gigi Barnett has the details.

As a Howard County 911 operator, Meghan Blizard has had some close labor calls.

“We get the maternity calls where they think they’re going into labor or their water has just broken,” she said.

But on Tuesday morning, it was the real deal.

“Howard County 911, what’s your emergency,” she said.

“I’m on 100. My wife is in labor,” the caller said.

Syed Ali was on Route 100 just before the I-95 exit and his wife, Tamara Ali, was having their fifth child. Blizard could hear the mother’s screams in the background.

“His head is out,” said Ali.

Blizard kept at it, her guidelines coming from a manual she’s almost memorized. Minutes later, the baby was out and his cries were clearly heard over the phone.

“He’s wrapped around a towel we have,” Ali said.

The parents welcomed a baby boy and Blizard sent a medic unit shortly afterwards to escort mom and baby to Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Blizard says she’s always ready to field any call but she’s glad this one came to her.

“It kind of makes up for all the other not-so-nice stuff we have to deal with,” she said.

Blizard says she would like to see the baby she helped deliver.

The baby’s name is Badi-Uz-Zaman.