Helping Our Neighbors: Meet Eric Scherpenberg

By Mary Casey-Sturk

When I sat down with Eric Scherpenberg at Fort Thomas Coffee, I expected to learn about his commitment to Fort Thomas and his work in the community. What I didn’t realize is that our conversation would turn to a very personal subject for me – heart attacks.

In 2018, I suffered a heart attack and was saved by the quick intervention of staff at St. Elizabeth Fort Thomas. They performed CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and used an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) immediately and I am here to write about it. Before then (my dad died of a heart attack at just 52) and after, I’ve been advocating for AEDs and CPR training to anyone who will listen.

Luckily, for Fort Thomas, we have Eric Scherpenberg, who has been leading public education classes in the city, and many have benefited from his knowledge. He also led the charge to get AEDs into Fort Thomas Parks. He’s a passionate advocate for CPR training and Fort Thomas. This should come as no surprise to those who know him.

The American Heart Association shares, “Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.” It’s important for multiple members of the household to know it and taking hands-only CPR classes is a good option. For upcoming classes in Fort Thomas, visit the City’s website.  As he noted during our conversation, “take a few minutes for safety and know hands-only CPR, the longer you’re down and don’t have CPR, the longer you don’t get defibrillated, the worse the outcome is going to be. Every minute that goes by that the outcome has a 10% drop (survival rate), so it’s critical.”  Continuing, “When I teach people, I say ‘if you get out of this class and you don’t exactly remember what to do the worst thing you can do is nothing’”. 

Living in Fort Thomas with his wife, Cheri, and their offspring, Caitlyn and Logan, he has been a Firefighter and Paramedic with the city since 2005 and is also an intensive care nurse at St. Elizabeth in Florence. With his long shifts in Fort Thomas averaging 56 hours a week, plus nursing, he stays busy. “It’s just a family trait I guess,” adds Scherpenberg, who comes from a long line of family members who gave back and worked hard. 

He is currently a Lieutenant with the Fort Thomas Fire Department.   With a busy family including a golden retriever and two jobs, Scherpenberg still makes time to travel, do metalworking and focus on his fitness.  He also makes time to volunteer.

Around Town

Each year, he leads the NKFA (Northern Kentucky Firefighters Association) Junior Fire Marshal Poster Contest, which is an art contest and receives entries from elementary schools in Boone, Kenton, Pendleton and Campbell Counties. Students, grades K-5, enter their art to win cash prizes. Scherpenberg is quick to thank the local businesses who sponsor this event. Awards were handed out in December at the Mess Hall and 40 students were celebrated with their parents. The theme was “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home”. Students were tasked with designing posters focusing on safety using charging devices powered by these batteries to prevent fires. Which is an important reminder to all of us. 

Another project around the holidays is one close to the entire Scherpenberg family’s heart, “Legos From Lance”.  Legos From Lance was created as a way to honor the memory of 22-year-old Lance Winters, who died in July 2023 after a four-year battle with renal cell carcinoma. It was started by his parents, teachers, and staff in the Oak Hills Local School district where he attended school, but Lance and his family have many connections in Fort Thomas and the Scherpenbergs continue to donate Lego sets in his memory which are distributed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. In September, a bench was placed in Tower Park in memory of Lance.  

Accolades

Brian and Linda Huseman shared this deeply personal story, “Eric Scherpenberg has been a meaningful presence in our lives and in our community for many years. We first knew Eric as a fellow parent—his daughter played soccer alongside ours in grade school—but we came to truly understand his character on the hardest night of our lives.”

“In 2017, when our daughter died suddenly of SUDEP, Eric responded as a Lieutenant with the Ft. Thomas Fire Department. He treated our family with extraordinary compassion, professionalism, and care. He went above and beyond his duty, even driving the firetruck to bring our parish priest to us. In a moment of unimaginable grief, Eric brought calm, dignity, and humanity.”

“In the years since, Eric and his wife, Cheri, have remained a constant source of support. They have attended and helped create memorials, stood beside us on difficult anniversaries, and shown us the true meaning of friendship. Their kindness was not limited to one night—it has endured.” Adding, “Eric lives a life defined by service to others. He is a blessing to our family and a gift to the Ft. Thomas community.”

Chris Amon, Fort Thomas Fire Chief weighed in, “Lieutenant Eric Scherpenberg has had a profoundly positive impact on both the Fort Thomas Fire Department and the broader community through his leadership in public fire education and prevention. As the leader of the department’s public fire education program, Lt. Scherpenberg has dedicated himself to reaching our school-aged children with age-appropriate, engaging, and life-saving fire safety education. His efforts help build a foundation of safety awareness at an early age, empowering children to recognize hazards, respond appropriately in emergencies, and carry those lessons home to their families, extending the impact well beyond the classroom.”

“In addition to his work in fire education, Lt. Scherpenberg leads the Fire Prevention Poster Contest for Northern Kentucky schools, engaging students in grades K-5 across the region. This program encourages creativity while reinforcing critical fire safety messages and fosters strong partnerships between the fire department, schools, and families. Beyond prevention, Lt. Scherpenberg also serves as an adjunct instructor for the community CPR program, teaching lifesaving skills to citizens of all ages, from young students to older adults. Through his commitment to education, prevention, and preparedness, Lt. Scherpenberg exemplifies service above and beyond, strengthening the safety, resilience, and well-being of the Fort Thomas community.”

While Scherpenberg acknowledges that being recognized for his personal and professional deeds makes him uncomfortable, it’s hard not to be impressed with his dedication to keeping the community safe. In addition to CPR, he wants everyone to keep fire prevention in mind. “Fire deaths in the United States were around 8,000 in the 1970s, today it’s around 3,000. Public education is making a difference, but I’d like to see the number be zero,” he shares.

Scherpenberg adds, that there are new dangers to be aware of as technology has changed, “This year we’ve had a couple of runs where the larger lithium batteries (like in golf cards and scooters) cause fires as well as release carbon monoxide”. 

I think Fred Rogers said it best, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”

To Lt. Scherpenberg, I say, “I’m glad you’re our neighbor”.