Two DPW Workers Lauded for Heroism

Green banner with DPW logo and text "Department of Public Works Press Release"

Tony Carl Clark and Martine Smith helped save a citizen’s life

Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) employees Tony Carl Clark and Martine Smith are being lauded for saving a life while on the job performing their daily graffiti removal duties.

Clark and Smith were traveling along the 1300 block of Baylis Street when they were flagged down by a man.  They stopped, and the man asked the two City workers to help him render assistance to a woman who was unconscious in the driver’s seat of her vehicle. 

After opening the woman’s door, Clark and Smith noticed that her face was blue in color and that she was not responding.  Clark called 911, while Smith felt for a pulse and immediately began chest compressions.  The woman regained consciousness and she began to respond to Smith and Clark. 

Smith and Clark kept the woman awake until the paramedics arrived.  She was evaluated by the paramedics and released.  A family member safely drove her from the scene.  According to the Baltimore City paramedics who responded to the scene, the woman would not have survived if it were not for Smith’s efforts to revive her.

Director Rudy S. Chow, P.E., said “DPW is proud to have great, conscientious workers that go beyond the call of duty to save a life. Tony Carl Clark and Martine Smith now join the ranks of a few other recognized DPW heroes.” 

DPW workers who have saved lives while on the job over the last three years include DPW Employee of the Year Rollin Weeks, Jr., a recycling collector who with his colleagues rescued a woman from the edge of a bridge late last year.  Alfonso Jenkins and Greg Schmidt saved the life of a co-worker at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant.  DPW Environmental Police Officer Silas Phillips rescued a suicidal subject at the Liberty Reservoir, in addition to other acts of heroism he has and may need to perform in his job as a police officer. 

They have all received accolades for their deeds, and are revered by co-workers and others who know of their heroism. Director Chow will present awards to Clark and Smith at DPW’s Employee of the Month ceremony on Thursday, October 4.

Related Stories

NOW AVAILABLE: DPW’s 2023 Water Quality Report

Today, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) is announcing that its 2023 Water Quality Report is available online. This annual report provides Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Howard County residents with important information about where the City’s drinking water comes from, what chemicals it contains, and how it meets federal standards for tap water. In this report, DPW highlights our employees who monitor and treat the water from the City’s reservoirs, Loch Raven, Liberty, and Prettyboy, and take steps to safeguard the water throughout the distribution process.

DPW Offices, Sanitation Yards Closed on Independence Day , Thursday, July 4

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Acting Director Khalil Zaied reminds residents that Independence Day will be observed on Thursday, July 4, 2024. As a City-observed holiday, DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSED. The Independence Day closure WILL impact weekly trash and recycling collections. Trash and recycling makeup day is Saturday, July 6, 2024. There will be NO street sweeping during the Independence Day closure.  

DPW Offices, Sanitation Yards Closed on Juneteenth City of Baltimore to Observe Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Acting Director Khalil Zaied reminds residents that Juneteenth will be observed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. As a City-observed holiday, DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSEDTrash and recycling collections WILL NOT take place on the Juneteenth holiday closure. The trash and recycling make-up day is Saturday, June 22. There will be NO street sweeping during the Juneteenth closure.