Battalion chief celebrates 40 years with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue

Jan. 09--Fort Lauderdale has its very own 007 -- one with four decades of experience protecting residents and saving lives.

David DiPetrillo became one of the first paramedics in Florida, with an original state paramedic number of 007. Today, the state numbers are in the 526,000 range, and DiPetrillo, a battalion chief, is celebrating 40 years with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and looking toward retirement.

"I saw a lot of change in those 40 years and a lot of accomplishments," DiPetrillo said. "I'm going to walk away from it with a smile on my face knowing that things turned out better than I could've ever imagined."

The 65-year-old grew up in Hollywood and graduated from McArthur High School in 1967. He worked as a City of Fort Lauderdale lifeguard while attending community college until he was drafted into the Army in 1969 during the Vietnam war.

DiPetrillo has worn many hats during his career with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and is currently assigned to the 13th Battalion, where he oversees the fire stations assigned to protect Victoria Park and the Fort Lauderdale barrier island.

"Throughout the years, Chief DiPetrillo has been instrumental in the advancement of the fire rescue department," said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Heiser. "Chief DiPetrillo was the driving force behind Fort Lauderdale taking over responsibility for its EMS system in 1996."

DiPetrillo said he has worked under some 20 different fire chiefs.

"The people I have been able to work with ... that's just been the greatest part of it all -- the networking and the partnerships I've built throughout the years," he said.

Even after four decades, DiPetrillo said, he still looks forward to going to work every day. "I always tell everybody: take care of the job and the job will take care of you."

emiller@tribune.com, 954-356-4544 or Twitter @EmilyBethMiller

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