Back row, left to right: Kirk Schmitt (Treasurer), Neal Blackwell (Trustee), Rob Ross (President), Aaron Bell (Vice President), Art Bogad (Trustee), John Muccioli (Captain), Naomi McCarty (Trustee)
(Front row, left to right): Tara Long (Corresponding Secretary), Joan Schwarzwalder (Recording Secretary), Shelley Pennington (Second Assistant Captain), Heather Varrasse (First Assistant Captain),
The Knights of Columbus Hopewell Council 7103 hosted their 10th annual Shield Awards at Villa Francesco restaurant in Pennington. This event honors local EMS, fire, and police. This year's awards went to Kirk Schmitt (EMS, PFAS), Tom Blackwell (firefighter, Pennington Fire Company), Novin Thomas (Pennington police) and Detective Mark Panzano (Hopewell Township Police). Mark Davis was a guest speaker. He spoke about his book, Through the Water and Fire, recounting his experiences on Swift Boats during the Vietnam war.
Left to right. Kirk Schmitt, Tom Blackwell, Novin Thomas, Mark Panzano
William Goldfeder, well known author, fire safety advocate and Deputy Chief for the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department in Ohio visited PFAS with his family. He began his EMS/fire career in 1973 as a junior member of PFAS. While touring PFAS, he traded stories with Captain Muccioli and Treasurer Kirk Schmitt. He reported that he and Larry Taylor did many of the PFAS daytime calls in 1973 and 1974. Both were 5-points responders. He told us that the biggest controversy he was involved in was attempting to change the knee length white overcoats to something else and can be seen with his waist length version and other pictures under our historic pictures tab.
Left to right. John Muccioli (Captain), William Goldfeder and his son, Kirk Schmitt(Treasurer)
Left to right. Brandywine Executive Director Ellen Moyle presents check to Pennington First Aid Squad Captain, John Muccioli and Treasurer, Kirk Schmitt
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 . Obituary from family.
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.
PFAS joined Hopewell Valley Emergency Services, the Pennington Fire Company, the Hopewell Fire Department and Emergency Medical Unit, and the Union Fire Company and Rescue Squad and for this combination show-and-tell and musical entertainment. The event was sponsored by the Hopewell Township police and held at Stony Brook Elementary School. More pictures by MaryJane can be seen at this link.
