4 State College police officers, longtime fire director honored for service
Four State College police officers and the former director of the Centre Region Fire Protection Program were honored Wednesday for their heroics in crisis situations or their steady leadership for more than a decade.
Borough police Lt. Todd Scholton and officers Nathan Betts and Scott Rusnak each received a Lifesaving Award for helping someone who was prepared to attempt suicide.
Lt. Barrett Smith, who spearheaded the effort to implement the police department’s use of automated external defibrillators, was handed the Meritorious Service Award.
Chief John Gardner also recognized the career of former Centre Region Fire Director Steve Bair, who retired last month after a career that spanned nearly five decades.
Borough Manager Tom Fountaine, Mayor Ezra Nanes and more than a handful of colleagues attended the ceremony at the State College Municipal Building.
“Too often law enforcement gets a lot of press for all the wrong reasons. We’ve become accustomed to that and used to that; we haven’t done a good job of recognizing the people who work for us and do those great things every day,” Gardner said. “... There’s more good than bad that happens and I think it’s important that we understand that.”
Officer helps teenager who planned suicide
A 14-year-old girl was sitting in May on the top floor of the Fraser Street Parking Garage. Her feet were dangling over the edge and she offered little verbal communication with first responders.
That changed when Scholton arrived. The 27-year veteran spoke with the teen for nearly 25 minutes, sharing personal stories with her while he closed the distance between them. He then “bear-hugged” her off the ledge.
Scholton’s actions, Gardner said, “appear to have saved the life” of the teenager.
It was the second time in the past four months that Scholton was honored for response. He was recognized in October as one of two Crisis Intervention Team Officers of the Year.
A high-wire act along U.S. Route 322
A 20-year-old autistic man jumped in June 2021 over the East Branch Road overpass with U.S. Route 322. He continued to walk next to the major highway’s fog line, forcing about a dozen vehicles to swerve out of the way.
Betts tackled the man, telling him, “I don’t want you to die. I’m here to help you.” Betts, who was hired in February 2017, then spoke with the man and his family for more than 45 minutes.
“You don’t really think about it a whole lot as far as, ‘I just saved somebody’s life. Maybe I’ll get recognized for this,’ “ Betts said. “It’s just kind of the nature of the job.”
‘A wonderful job in the face of a very stressful situation‘
Rusnak, like Scholton two months earlier, was dispatched in July to the Fraser Street Parking Garage. For more than 40 minutes, he spoke with a “distraught” woman who planned to attempt suicide, Gardner said.
Mobile crisis caseworkers responded, but Rusnak continued to talk with the woman until she stepped back from the ledge.
“Officer Rusnak did a wonderful job in the face of a very stressful situation,” Gardner said.
Getting life-saving programs off the ground
Police officers first carried AED units in their patrol vehicles in 2006. Since then, the portable device that is used to help people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest has been used more than 100 times, Gardner said.
The devices, Gardner said, have helped the department save the lives of 25 people. Another 13 regained a pulse before they were transported to a hospital.
Smith was instrumental in getting the program off the ground, as well as the purchase of tourniquets in 2013. At least five people survived because officers were able to apply a tourniquet, Gardner said.
“Lt. Smith’s work on implementing the AED and tourniquet programs has saved many lives,” Gardner said. “Lt. Smith significantly enhanced the quality of life for the members of our community.”
Longtime fire director steps down
Bair began his fire service career in 1975; he was 17. He was named fire director in 2007, a role that left him to oversee the Alpha Fire Company. He retired in December.
“This region has been the (beneficiary) of many of the innovative and thoughtful ideas of Steve Bair,” Gardner said. “Some of the things he’s brought to this area have revolutionized the way we respond to calls and investigate calls.”
Bair deflected the praise heaped upon him, instead expressing gratitude for the relationship first responders in Centre County have with each other.
“I’d just like to point out that in a lot of places in our country there is no real cooperation between police, fire and EMS. We should be very proud that, that is not the case here,” Bair said. “I can tell you that, in my opinion, the close collaboration and partnership that we have between the fire department and the police department makes our community better.”
