The members of a Whiteford Volunteer Fire Company EMS crew who, as former Deputy Chief Rusty Leftwich put it, were "in the right place at the right time" to save a man in cardiac arrest, were honored with the fire company's Lifesaving Award during Whiteford's annual awards banquet Saturday.
"We get lucky up here once in a while," Leftwich, the banquet's master of ceremonies, said. "It seems like we have somebody in the right place at the right time, and we want to honor these people."
The banquet was held at American Legion Slate Ridge Post 182 in Whiteford.
Paramedic Mark Hagley and driver/EMT Ben Becker, paid medics and employees of the Harford County EMS Foundation who are based with Whiteford, were two of four people who responded to the Nov. 15, 2015 call at a dwelling in the 800 block of Federal Hill Road in Street. They accepted the award on behalf of their colleagues, firefighter/driver Donald Galbreath, who did not attend Saturday's banquet, and EMT trainee Brock Flahart, who is no longer with the fire company.
Becker, Flahart and Hagley were the first to arrive at the scene at 12:29 a.m. in response to a call to help a person who had fallen, according to a narrative written by company Chief Frank Krick and read by Leftwich.
Ferdinand Buecker, the son of the person who had fallen, met the EMS workers in the driveway. He collapsed and went into cardiac arrest after he directed the crew inside.
The Whiteford members tried to revive him by performing CPR and shocking him with a defibrillator – they also called for assistance for the person who had fallen, who was taken to University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air by a Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company ambulance.
Buecker was loaded into a Whiteford ambulance, which Galbreath drove to Upper Chesapeake.
"While en route to the hospital the patient regained consciousness and began talking to the EMS crew, asking why he was in the ambulance," Leftwich said, reading the narrative.
Buecker was "fully alert" and talking by the time he arrived at the hospital.
"They were the first ones to lay hands, and today that gentleman is fine and is doing well," Leftwich said of Becker and Hagley.
Hall of Fame honors
Paul R. Miller, who has spent 68 years in the fire service with the Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company and Whiteford, was inducted into the Harford-Cecil Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame during Saturday's banquet.
Delta-Cardiff serves northern Harford County and southern York County, Pa.; Whiteford was formed in 1997 by former Delta-Cardiff members. Miller, who is a fire police captain, joined Whiteford in 2005.
Ruth Tolliver, chair of the Hall of Fame committee, called Miller's name during a surprise announcement and presented him with the Harford and Cecil Austin D. Amos Jr. Hall of Fame Award.
Years of service
Miller and James R. "Fuzzy" Williams were honored for dedicating at least 50 years to the local fire service. Williams has spent 50 years in the fire service.
They are two of four company members with at least 50 years of service, according to Leftwich. Miller and Williams received a plaque with a firefighter's ax and their names on it.
"Thank you, everybody," Miller said.
Donation to honor fallen deputies
Fire company officials presented a $500 check to Harford County Sheriff's Office Maj. William Davis for the Harford County Deputy Sheriff's Union Benevolent Fund to assist the families of Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey and Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon, who were killed in the line of duty Feb. 10.
Leftwich said the money was being donated "in the names of Mark and Pat, who we all miss very dearly."
"Thank you, everyone," Davis told the audience. "It's greatly appreciated."
Miss Fire Prevention
Company officials also honored 11-year-old Kaitlyn Schueler, of Street, who is Harford County's Junior Miss Fire Prevention for 2015-16, and her 6-year-old sister, Ella, who is Harford County's Little Miss Fire Prevention for 2015-16.
Their parents are Josh Schueler, vice president of the fire company board, and Heather Schueler, a company member.
Kaitlyn is a student at North Harford Elementary School and one of 41 Harford County Public Schools students recognized as 2016 Ben Carson Scholars, according to a HCPS news release. She took the podium Saturday and thanked fire company officials for their support during her and her sister's reign.
"Now, I want to give you one fire safety tip for the road," Kaitlyn told the audience.
She encouraged everyone to know EDITH, or Exit Drills in the Home.
"Without EDITH, people in your home wouldn't know a way out of the house in the event of a fire," she said.
Top responders
Members with the top combined fire and EMS calls for 2015 are Larry Holbrook with 202 calls, Andrew Pritt (148), Ronnie Barben (144), Janet Holbrook (134), Lance Cooper (112), Jason Mills (102), Joseph Davis (99), Donald Galbreath (97), Daniel Lemmon (89), Chad Barben (87), Rachel Wooden (73), Gary Taylor (68), Paul Miller (67), Jeff Petty (64), Justin Seaman (59), John Monath (52), James Williams (49), Stephen Johnson (48), Chris Shay (48) and Chief Frank Krick, (25).