FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2013
Matthew Dunlap
207-626-8400

Bureau of Motor Vehicles Detective Stephanie Beaulieu Honored by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association for Heroism

SOUTH PORTLAND, AUGUSTA, and CARIBOU, MAINE—Detective Stephanie Beaulieu of Fort Fairfield, who serves in the Department of the Secretary of State and works primarily out of the Caribou branch office, was scheduled to be honored in February at the Maine Chiefs of Police Association annual awards banquet for her actions on April 19th, 2012, that earned her the Association’s Life Saving By a Law Enforcement Officer Award. That event was disrupted by the major snowstorm of February 8, 2013. Beaulieu was subsequently honored in Caribou on February 21, 2013.

On April 19th, 2012, Beaulieu was at home when her husband’s fire department scanner sounded an alert for first responders to aid a woman in labor with twins. At that point, one of the babies had been delivered. Knowing that most of the town’s first responders were already committed at a fire scene at a remote location, and being familiar with the area, Beaulieu immediately responded to the call.

Arriving at the address, Beaulieu found the door locked. Seeing a young child in the house, Beaulieu was able to convince the child to open the door, and entered hearing crying and yells for help. Upon finding the mother on the floor in the bathroom and the newborn baby next to her, struggling to breathe, Beaulieu began immediate care to stimulate the baby’s breathing.

Upon arrival of the ambulance crew, and with little room to maneuver, Beaulieu continued to assist the mother, who had a dangerous breech birth proceeding with the second baby. Following instructions from the paramedics, Beaulieu was able to assist the mother in a successful delivery of the baby.

?This is not the first time Detective Stephanie Beaulieu has used quick thinking and action to save a child,? said Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, referring to a June 10, 2005 instance where Beaulieu saved a choking child at a school function. ?Stephanie is a top-flight law enforcement officer, and a huge resource to this department, but she is also an obvious and abundant resource to the people of Aroostook County, and we join them in expressing our gratitude for her quick actions, and congratulate her for this well-deserved award. I want to thank the Maine Chiefs of Police Association for honoring a great detective and tremendous friend to the community.?