Lady's Island firefighter recognized as top paramedic
It wasn't too long ago that Ryan Roberts was rubbing shoulders with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, earning praise for helping bring a skate park to Bluffton.
Roberts rarely skates anymore, but he has found a new balancing act in his job and its training -- and he's still receiving recognition.
The 25-year-old firefighter with the Lady's Island/St. Helena Fire District was recently recognized with an award as the top student from his paramedic class. Roberts graduated from the nine-month program in Savannah in November and was given the David S. Bacon Jr. Award, named for a flight paramedic killed in a Spartanburg helicopter crash in 2004.
Roberts, a Bluffton resident, has been with the Lady's Island/St. Helena department for seven months. His paramedic certification allows him to perform more tasks with a patient, such as starting IVs, administering drugs and inserting artificial airways.
The certification included three days a week of training in Savannah, for eight hours each day. There were 150 graded homework assignments and 400 hours of clinical work, Roberts said.
"We became a little family, and we kind of depended on each other to get through it," Roberts said. "It was a pretty intensive program."
Roberts had worked as a volunteer firefighter in Jasper County and is still on the roster. He applied to his current department about 18 months ago and finally received a call.
"It's definitely been a blessing because I love it," he said. "I love the people here."
As a teenager, Roberts lobbied Bluffton officials with a friend to have a skate park built off Buckwalter Parkway. That work was completed in 2010, and eventually led to Hawk's appearance in front of more than 1,000 fans.
After the event, Hawk posted a note on his Instagram feed praising Roberts for his work.
Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.
Related content:
- Firefighters promoted at the Lady's Island-St. Helena Fire District, Nov. 9, 2015
- St. Helena Fire Station renovation nearing completion, Nov. 9, 2015
- Skateboarders tell officials, architects what they want in a Bluffton skate park, May 13, 2009
This story was originally published December 6, 2015 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Lady's Island firefighter recognized as top paramedic."