WARREN - They didn't quite make it to the drive-thru, but Estella and David Bettencourt's 8-pound, 1-ounce order came quickly all the same. Last Wednesday morning at 3:25 a.m., three Warren rescue workers delivered the Bettencourts' second child, Ashlyn, in the front seat of the Bristol couple's Ford Expedition parked under the Golden Arches at the McDonald's fast-food restaurant on Metacom Avenue.

"Fast" being the key word all around. Despite the surroundings, far from the sterility of a hospital labor room, the delivery went smoothly and mother and baby were fine.

The call came in shortly after 3:15 a.m.

EMT Matthew Sarasin, 21, arrived at the scene first in Rescue 1.

Warren EMT Jim Bonevelle cradles four day old Ashlyn Bettencourt.

"I was on duty at the station (on Miler Street), and I was dispatched to a call for an asthma attack," said Mr. Sarasin, a pre-med student at Brown University.

No sooner had he left the station, police dispatcher Jason Sousa sounded the tone for a second rescue. Mr. Sarasin was diverted to McDonald's, where he was met by Jim Bonevelle, who responded from his home, and Warren Fire Chief Al Galinelli.

"The mother was in the front seat," said Mr. Sarasin. "Her husband was on the sidewalk flagging us down."

Mr. Sarasin made for the car.

"She was in the middle of a contraction," he said.

Mr. Bonevelle arrived about the same time. He knew immediately they'd never make it to the hospital in time.

"I examined her to see how far apart the contractions were. I said to Matt, 'Were staying right here.' "

In the meantime, police officers Kristen Beaulieu and Jason Canario responded, as did the fire chief, who heard the first call from his home. He listened more closely.

"I heard the 911 line ringing in the background," he said.

Knowing only two EMTs were on duty and there was already an emergency call in progress, the chief jumped into his truck. After making sure the other call was covered, he headed to the restaurant about a minute from his home.

Back at the vehicle, Mr. Bonevelle coached the mother, assisted by Mr. Sarasin. In what seemed like seconds after the fire chief's arrival, the baby was born. Throughout the ordeal, the two police officers stood by, shining flashlights into the car for visibility.

"Then I cut the cord," said Mr. Galinelli, who has been present for only two deliveries despite all his years in the department. It was also the second time for both Mr. Bonevelle and Mr. Sarasin.

"I'm really lucky," said Mr. Sarasin, a youngster by rescue department standards. "This was my second one. I lot of people go their whole careers without being involved in one," he said.

Mr. Sarasin tended to Ms. Bettencourt in the back of the rescue while Mr. Bonevelle took charge of the baby. Rescue squad member Ben DeCastro arrived to drive the mother and newborn to Women & Infants Hospital in Providence.

Family grateful

David Bettencourt was awakened by his very pregnant wife at about 2:15 a.m..

"She said, 'I need you to time the contractions,' " he said.

They were exactly 4 minutes and 39 seconds apart.

He hustled her into the Ford and they headed for Women & Infants Hospital. His wife appeared extremely uncomfortable, he said.

They hadn't gone far from their home on Roosevelt Drive and were actually near Stop & Shop in Bristol when she told him to phone for help.

"I drove down the road and called 911. I wanted to get to a spot that was a reference point," he said.

When the dispatcher asked the couple's location, he knew just what to say.

"I told him, 'We're right underneath the Golden Arches.' " He parked with his hazard lights on and waited.

Rescue 1 arrived within minutes — and just in time.

Mr. Bettencourt, a Fall River native, said he and his wife, who hails from California, are grateful to everyone involved. Ashlyn is the couple's second child. They have a son, Taylor, who is 4.

Although delivering the baby in tight quarters and under primitive conditions was no easy feat, everything worked out fine, said Mr. Bonevelle, a member of the fire/rescue department for nearly 30 years.

After Ashlyn was born, Mr. Bonevelle, the father of two boys, held her.

"She was grabbing my finger and the string from the oxygen. She was crying. She was really, really beautiful," he said.

Over the past three decades, he has witnessed tragedies, from accidents that claimed lives, to life-threatening illnesses. Bringing a new life into the world is definitely a departure from regular rescue duties.

"Oh, what a feeling. There's nothing better. It's a miracle," he said.

Second mom delivers in Warren

Warren was apparently the place last week for Bristol babies to be born. On Friday morning, Aug. 27, at 4:56 a.m., Rescue 1 was dispatched to the parking lot of the police station at Government Center where a woman was about to give birth in her car. When rescue personnel arrived, however, Melanie Beaton of Bristol had already delivered a healthy son. It was the second child for Ms. Beaton and her husband, Timothy, of Elmwood Drive.

All that was left for rescuers to do was cut the cord and transport mother and newborn to Women & Infants Hospital. Like the Bettencourts, the Beatons had tried to make it to the hospital, but gave up. Rescue personnel said Ms. Beaton's delivery due date was Sept. 12.

By Denise Kinney

dkinney@eastbaynewspapers.com