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It was early evening on August 23 when Wesley Rebnicky, an officer
at New Jersey State Prison, heard screams coming from the swimming
pool of the motel in Wildwood where he and girlfriend Stacy Malek
happened to be guests. A teenage boy had been spotted lying at
the bottom of the pool. Officer Rebnicky and his girlfriend ran
to the pool area; she dived into the pool, located the boy and
brought him to the surface, at which point Officer Rebnicky removed
the young man from the pool and began and administering chest
compressions in order to clear the water from the boy's lungs.
The teenager had turned blue and wasn't breathing, but by the
time paramedics arrived, the young man was breathing again. According
to the Wildwood Police Department, which recently presented Officer
Malek and his girlfriend with its Civilian Award, their actions
literally saved the young man's life.
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On the afternoon of August 30, Bob Ciesielski was driving
his vehicle into Jones Farm, where he works as a supervisor,
when he noticed a car following him onto the farm. A woman
was driving the car, and she appeared to be in severe distress.
He approached her automobile and was handed a note that
read, "French fry caught in my throat, can't breathe."
Mr. Ciesielski quickly called 911, then performed the Heimlich
maneuver on the woman. On his second attempt, he managed
to dislodge the blockage, and a potentially catastrophic
outcome was averted.
Mike Keaton and Timothy Ostopuck, senior correction officers
at New Jersey State Prison, were administering what they
assumed would be a routine inspection of the facility's
warehouse area on the afternoon of September 2. However,
while making their rounds, they noticed bright flashes inside
of a row home and soon realized they were observing was
the early stages of a house fire. The officers radioed the
prison's Center Control and asked that the fire department
be notified. Next, they turned on their sirens and flashing
lights and began knocking on doors advising the nearby residents
to evacuate. They also utilized the public address system
in their vehicle to alert everyone on the block of the fire.
Even though every single home along the row was destroyed,
there were no fatalities. It is unnerving to even contemplate
how many lives may have been lost without the timely actions
of officers Keaton and Ostopuck.
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Commissioner
George Hayman
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On September 26, Sgt. Gerald Hart of Mountainview Youth Correctional
Facility was a first responder to a late-afternoon automobile
accident in Watchung. After calling 911, Sgt. Hart began administering
CPR to a man who was unconscious and blue in complexion. In doing
so, he kept the man alive.
"It
seems that hardly a week goes by when I'm not made aware
of some staff member's act of heroism - be it in the line
of duty or otherwise."
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These four harrowing episodes occurred in a span of less
than five weeks. The common thread is that in each instance,
one or more members of the New Jersey Department of Corrections
family demonstrated a willingness to serve the citizens of
the Garden State well beyond the call of duty. |
These anecdotes represent just a small sampling of the many examples
of exemplary behavior among our employees, often executed under
the most adverse possible circumstances. It seems that hardly
a week goes by when I'm not made aware of some staff member's
act of heroism - be it in the line of duty or otherwise.
In this issue of Inside Corrections, you'll find additional
profiles in courage as well as feature articles on our friends
and co-workers highlighting aspects of their lives that you might
find surprising. Enjoy the newsletter! •
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