For rescues to teaching CPR and defibrillator use, two city paramedics were given the Bert Smith award for their service.
By JARED GOLDBERG-LEOPOLD
Published January 18, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - Robert Bailey was a less experienced paramedic then. After repeated knocks on the door went unanswered, Bailey entered the home through a window only to find himself staring down the barrel of a shotgun.
Click.
The gun wasn't loaded.
Now Bailey, 48, teaches newly hired paramedics the street smarts he has acquired from 29 years on the force.
One of the first lessons is the one that almost cost Bailey his life: Be aware of your surroundings and announce your presence.
Bailey and Dave DeSchryver, two St. Petersburg paramedics, received the Bert Smith award Thursday for their work over the past year. The late auto dealer started a trust fund for the award in 1977 after St. Petersburg paramedics came to Smith's rescue when a bleeding ulcer nearly killed him.
"I guess the mentality is that "Gee, someone saves my life, let's do something in return,"' said Smith's son, Bert III, president of Bert Smith Automotive. "The fine service that these guys provided saved my dad's life."
When DeSchryver, 30, isn't working at the city's busiest rescue station - Station 5 at Eighth Street and Fourth Avenue S - DeSchryver dedicates himself to educating people about defibrillators and working with the American Heart Association to plan CPR training. And he's always on call, should a hazardous materials disaster occur anywhere in Pinellas County.
Having DeSchryver around to convince people of the importance of defibrillators makes a huge difference, said Dianna King, health initiatives director for the American Heart Association's Tampa Bay branch.
"Every time we call on him, he is always there and ready to help," King said. "It's always helpful to have the real experts there, the people who are there and on scene every day."
To be on the scene, DeSchryver and Bailey have to pull some odd hours: 24 hours in a row on duty, then 48 off. DeSchryver, whose father was also a paramedic, said he could never imagine working a 9-to-5 job.
"I really like having my time off," he said. "My girlfriend doesn't mind at all because it gets her away from me every three days."
For Bailey, the impact he can make every day has kept him excited about the job for 29 years - much longer than the average tenure for a paramedic.
"To be honest, the time goes a lot quicker than you think," Bailey said. "It's like every day is good, and before you know it, the years start stacking up."
