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A memorial service will be held for Richard Bailey on Saturday October 5th, from 9am-11am at the Pennington First Aid Squad building, 110 Broemel Place, Pennington, NJ 08534. A graveside service will follow at 12:00pm at Trinity-All Saints Cemetery, All Saints Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. Those attending the graveside service are invited to attend lunch afterward at a restaurant to be determined. Any agency seeking additional information can email the .
Dick joined Pennington First Aid Squad in 1975 and was the second highest responder of all time for PFAS. He served as Vice President for 3 years, Trustee for 9 years and was the Squad's representative to the 9th District of the New Jersey State First Aid Council for 37 years. He was instrumental in establishing the PFAS dedication to education. Together with his late wife and past PFAS Captain, Jessie Bailey, he established the Cardiac Defender Program at PFAS in the 1970's which taught community CPR to hundreds of Pennington and Hopewell Township residents. He and Jessie taught many EMT courses at the Pennington First Aid Squad in a tiny training room. The classes often spilled over into the ambulance bays for lack of space for practicals. He was among the first paramedics in NJ and answered many calls as a paramedic back in the days when volunteer squads like PFAS operated paramedic ambulances as part of the Lifemobile program. He instilled in his daughter, Heather, and son, Richard Jr, his excitement for EMS. From the 70's to 90's there were few calls at PFAS that did not have at least one Bailey on the ambulance. He will be missed and his legacy not forgotten.
1989-9-30 MVA, star-cracked windshield, Kirk Schmitt, Dick Bailey, Jerri Grandi, Andy Kuivenhoven.
We were saddened to learn of the passing today of Dick Bailey. Dick joined PFAS in 1975 and was the second highest responder of all time for the PFAS, answering over 4000 calls for service at a time when our call volume was a third to half what it is today. He served as Vice President for 3 years, Trustee for 9 years and was the Squad's representative to the 9th District of the New Jersey State First Aid Council for 37 years. He was instrumental in establishing the PFAS dedication to education. Together with his wife, Jessie Bailey, he established the Cardiac Defender Program at PFAS in the 1970's which taught community CPR to hundreds of Pennington and Hopewell Township residents. He and Jessie taught many EMT courses at the Pennington First Aid Squad in a tiny training room, with minimal equipment or audio visual aids. The classes often spilled over into the ambulance bays for lack space for practicals. He was an early paramedic and answered many calls as a paramedic back in the days when volunteer squads like PFAS were allowed to have paramedic ambulances. He instilled his daughter, Heather, and son, Richard Jr, with his excitement for EMS. From the 70's to 90's there were few calls that did not have at least one Bailey on the ambulance. PFAS pictures may be found here. He will be missed.
A memorial service will be held at PFAS October 5th. Details to follow.
The winter EMT class has produced 10 EMT candidates. Most are riding for Hopewell Valley Squads. More pictures from the class are posted here. Click on image for higher resolution version.
Back row, left to right: Heather Varrasse (First Assistant Captain), Kirk Schmitt (Treasurer), John Muccioli (Captain), Neal Blackwell (Trustee), Rob Ross (President), Art Bogad (Trustee), Aaron Bell (Vice President)
(Front row, left to right): Tara Long (Corresponding Secretary), Shelley Pennington (Second Assistant Captain), Joan Schwarzwalder (Recording Secretary)
Missing: Naomi McCarty (Trustee)
The Squad welcomed several new officers and trustees this year but will miss departing, faithful officers and trustee. Notably, Jon and June Guerard elected to retire. Jon and June were a husband and wife team who anchored our Tuesday night crew for over twenty years.
Jon joined the Squad in September of 1989. During his nearly 30 years with the Squad he responded to 2274 calls. He was a Trustee from 1996 to the present and oversaw much of the expansion construction which saw the Squad's building grow from a garage barely capable of holding a box and two Cadillacs to the larger structure we have today which houses offices, sleeping quarters, a kitchen, the large facilities needed by our training site and crew quarters.
June joined the Squad in October of 1990. During her 28 years with the Squad she responded to 1471 calls. She was our Recording Secretary from 1996 to the present. She set a very high bar for the detail and accuracy of the records she kept and much of our historical legacy over this period is due to her record keeping.
The class is underway with 17 students, 10 potential EMT for the Hopewell Valley's volunteer first aid squads
Please click on the Training tab to learn about and enroll in the next EMT class to be taught at PFAS
Officers and members of PFAS and Pennington fire met with residents of Woolsey Court as a public outreach to talk about our fire and EMS services, what we do, how we are financed, how and when to get help. The discussions were well received.
Pennington Day was soggy but many folks still stopped by the PFAS booth for blood pressures, to talk, and for tours of the ambulances
PFAS members in dark outfits without umbrellas or raincoats. Left to right: Shelley Pennington, Tara Long, Rebecca Miller, John Muccioli.
| We were saddened to learn of the passing yesterday of Zay Risinger. Zay came late in life to volunteer EMS. He joined PFAS in February of 1998 at the age of 69 and was one of our main, week-day responders until 2009 when he retired from riding because of his health at age 80. He was vigorous to the end and responded to 1454 calls for service during his 11 years. He served two years from 2009-2010 as a Trustee of the Squad. He will be missed. |
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