Mainland Local 77 Sergeant spins
a lifesaving tale
With the music blasting and the spin class at Island Gym in Little
Egg Harbor nearing the 54th minute of the hour-long exercise,
Mainland Local 77 member and instructor Stacey Williams was
alerted that a spinner had fallen off her bicycle.
The off-duty Pleasantville sergeant immediately switched gears
from instructor to officer. Williams dismounted her bike and tended
to the victim, Debbie Collins-Rice, while shouting out instructions
to call 9-1-1, turn off the music and clear the equipment out of the
way.
“I rolled her on her back, checked for an airway and a pulse –
there was none – and started chest compressions,” recalled
From left, Pleasantville Mayor Jesse Tweedle stands alongside resident
Debbie Collins-Rice and Mainland Local 77 member Stacey Williams, who
revived Collins-Rice after she went into acute cardiac arrest on Feb. 19.
Tweedle presented Williams with a proclamation at a Pleasantville City
Council meeting for her life-saving efforts.
The Certificate of Commendation presented to Mainland Local 77 member
Stacey Williams at the city council meeting on March 7.
Williams, who has 17 years on the job. “I was in cop mode. My
instincts, training and experience just kicked in.”
Atlantic City firefighter Jamil Wilkins – also off-duty at the time –
and Little Egg Harbor Township officer Chris Leary assisted Williams
with CPR, while the gym provided the first responders with an automatic external defibrillator.
Collins-Rice was shocked twice and suffered an acute cardiac
arrest, but because of Williams’ quick actions, she survived.
“You are never not a police officer,” noted Mainland Local 77 State
Delegate Michael Palmentieri. “We’re always on duty and the training – what we do everyday – just kicks in, and thank goodness for
that lady.”
The Pleasantville Mayor Jesse Tweedle honored Williams at a city
council meeting on March 7, with a Certificate of Commendation
to “congratulate, commend and honor Sergeant Stacy Williams (for)
her professionalism in managing this life-threatening incident.”
“I’m very honored and it meant a lot, but I still don’t think it was
necessary,” insisted Williams. “I was just doing what I was trained to
do.”
Collins-Rice thought the recognition more than necessary, and
attended the ceremony to express her gratitude and appreciation
for Williams.
“She couldn’t stop thanking me and her family couldn’t stop
thanking me,” revealed Williams. “I still get texts from all of them
thanking me for what we did.” d
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APRIL 2016
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