NEW JERSEY COPS ■ JANUARY 2014
COVER STORY
31
Journey from
the center
of the PBA
PHOTO BY JOHN HULSE
An internship at the NJ State PBA
office led Matt Smith to finding his
true calling as a cop.
■ BY JOSHUA SIGMUND
M
atthew Smith’s overnight shift was nearly in the
books at 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 4 when he heard over a
fellow Port Authority officer’s radio that there was a
situation barely 50 feet from the entrance of the
Holland Tunnel: A woman had gone into labor.
Officer Smith approached the scene armed with a unique talent among police officers: his experience as a trained and certified EMT. He immediately put the patient on oxygen and used
the PAPD’s obstetrical kit to calmly and professionally deliver
the healthy baby before the mother and newborn were transported to Jersey City Medical Center.
To somebody else, this special delivery might sound like
nothing short of true heroism – and it certainly is. But to Smith,
this is merely another example of how his elaborate and comprehensive education and experience that began with a high
school internship at the PBA office has helped – and continues
to help – him grow into a valued asset for the Port Authority
Police Department and a model member of the NJSPBA.
Bravest before finest
The story begins at Colonia High School, where 16-year-old
Matt Smith was often seen spending his free time volunteering
at his local fire department, an aspiration he had since he was a
kid. But something was missing.
“I started to get bored (at the fire department),” said Smith,
who decided instead to become an EMT and volunteer at the
town’s first aid squad. “I really started to enjoy that more because
it was more hands-on for someone at that age.”
As graduation loomed in 2003, Smith found himself in the
guidance counselor’s office discussing ideas for his college path
and inevitable career.
“She made me take a test to see what I may be interested in for
a career, and it showed that I would enjoy a job in public service,”
Smith recalled. “She also knew that I was involved in the community and recommended that I apply for an internship with
the PBA.”
This fateful proposition landed Matt in a chair opposite PBA
office manager Kathy Camarote at the old white house for an
interview. Before he knew it, Smith was digging through stacks
of paper and completing other office tasks as the NJSPBA’s first
intern.
“Working there was a little bit of a shock at first,” Smith noted.
“I was the only 17-year-old kid working there with a group of
adults. Even when I was doing EMS or fire, there were at least
other teenagers. However, everyone in the office really did make
me feel like I fit in.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 32