Surf City heroes honored for service

Andrew Edwards

A handful of Huntington Beach’s bravest men and women were honored

this week for their heroism at the 33rd annual Public Safety Awards

luncheon, held to recognize individuals who work to keep the streets

and beaches safe.

“I think it’s really special when you see the citizens step up ...

they’re the real heroes,” Marine Safety Officer and honoree Steve

Reuter said of four residents who received the Good Samaritan Award

for helping to save two people before professional responders could

reach the victims.

Reuter, who earned four public safety awards at previous luncheons

-- two for valor and two for merit -- was honored a fifth time

Tuesday with a Good Samaritan Award for helping to rescue two Marines

who were caught in a rip current in the surf off Camp Pendleton.

Reuter was off duty at the time and had gone to the base with his

wife Linda and Huntington Beach Police Lt. Lloyd Edwards to go

surfing.

Three recipients of the Good Samaritan Award -- Rick Anderson,

Jodie Dobbins and Susan Bedrosian -- were all recognized for giving

CPR to a man who suffered cardiac arrest at Huntington Beach back in

May. The victim and Bedrosian went inside the Pacific Liberty Bank

branch on Beach Boulevard and Adams Avenue to find a phone after the

two had a small traffic accident. Anderson and Dobbins are employees

at the bank and rushed to help Bedrosian revive the victim after he

suddenly collapsed and lost his heartbeat.

“We were just glad we were there, and we were glad we could help,”

Anderson said.

He and Dobbins have had CPR training, and when they saw the man

fall down, they simply reacted to the emergency.

“You know the basics, you just do it,” Anderson said.

The fifth person honored with the Good Samaritan Award, Phil

Burtis, was recognized for pulling 10-year-old Katie Glavinic out of

a Jacuzzi after her hair was caught in the drain cover during a party

in August. Burtis used mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to restore

Katie’s breathing, and was able to rescue the girl before police, who

landed their helicopter in a Huntington Harbour cul-de-sac, could

help out.

Burtis, a member of the Fire Department’s Community Emergency

Response Team, said he was slightly embarrassed by all the

recognition he has received, and that the lesson in his experience is

to make sure people learn to how to stay safe around pools and spas.

“You just never know when something’s going to happen,” he said.

The five professionals honored with the Award of Merit were all

members of the Police Department. Senior Motor Officer Dale Shields

was recognized for his work hunting down drunk drivers on his

motorcycle on night patrols. This year, he has arrested 147 people

suspected of driving under the influence. Training Officer Greg Davis

was recognized for his work as the department’s sole training

officer. He works with police academies, new cadets and is regarded

in the department as an expert firearms instructor.

“It’s not a glamorous position, but it’s something that needs to

be done,” Davis said.

Three detectives -- Pat Ellis, Mike Reilly and Jim Schoales --

were honored for their ongoing work in tracking a street gang in

Huntington Beach that reportedly has connections extending into

Arizona. Police have arrested more than 50 suspects with alleged gang

connections that have been charged with crimes including murder,

robbery and witness intimidation.

“I’m honored to be here getting this award,” Ellis said. “I’m just

doing my job. I like my job, putting bad people in jail. You have to

like what you’re doing to do this job, it makes demands on your

personal life, [but] it’s worth the sacrifice.”

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers education and crime. He can be reached at

(714) 966-4624 or (949) 494-4321 or andrew.edwards@latimes.com.