In the News

Several local law enforcement and fire department professionals were honored Thursday night at the annual Public Safety Awards banquet put on by the Lompoc Elks Lodge.

There were more than 200 people in attendance, including several elected officials, as the Elks Lodge honored representatives from nine agencies, including the Lompoc Police and Fire departments, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the county Sheriff’s, Probation and District Attorney’s offices, the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex, and the Vandenberg Air Force Base 30th Fire and Security squadrons.

“There are times when the excellence is awe-inspiring and you relish how lucky we are to have people like that excel in their jobs, trying to make our life better and safer,” Richard Kroemer, event chairman, said of the honorees.

The Outstanding Performance Award for the Lompoc Police Department went to Officer Lucas Signorelli, who is a school resource officer at Lompoc High School and a mentor to several students.

“Police work is not all ‘cops and robbers,’” LPD Chief Pat Walsh wrote in a nomination letter for Signorelli. “Although this is an important facet of what we do, often it is about building trust and relationships that help fight crime and the fear of crime.”

Signorelli, who is a nine-year veteran of the LPD and member of the department’s SWAT team, was also commended by an LHS student and LHS Principal Paul Bommersbach.

“I believe [Signorelli] is impactful here at LHS because of the relationships he has built with the students and staff,” Bommersbach wrote, according to the nomination letter. “He doesn’t just sit in his car or office and wait for something to happen; he is proactive and is walking around talking to the students and has earned that respect from them.”

The Outstanding Performance Award for the Lompoc Fire Department went to Firefighter Chris Martinez, who began his career with the LFD in 2015.

Martinez has been involved in LFD’s Urban Search and Rescue team, Child Car Seat program, and its EMT Expanded Skills program, according to his nomination letter. Additionally, he is an instructor for the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, program and spearheads all translations of LFD documents for Lompoc's Spanish-speaking community.

“Christopher is an asset to the Fire Department and his work ethic and positive attitude has been exemplary since he was hired,” read a portion of the nomination letter that was submitted by the firefighter’s union. “He continues to pursue excellence and professionalism as he serves the Lompoc community by challenging himself and others to make a difference and be part of the solution.”

Other Outstanding Performance Award honorees, and their agencies, included:

Spencer Whipple, a Tech Sgt. with the VAFB 30th Security Forces Squadron;

Elizabeth Beecher, an emergency medical dispatcher with the VAFB 30th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Service;

Theo J. Cintora, a mentor coordinator with the federal prison complex in Lompoc;

Daniel Kohli, a special duty deputy with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office;

Joe Gavlak, a fire equipment/dozer operator with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department;

Nicholas Consorti, a deputy probation officer with the Santa Barbara County Probation Office; and

Elaine Contreras, an expert legal professional with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.

Additionally, Santa Barbara County Fire Engine 331 A Shift crew members were given the Elks Valor Award for the life-saving actions they performed on Sept. 19, 2016 during the Canyon Fire that engulfed a portion of VAFB.

The crew members include Capt. Richard Dykhouse, Firefighter Travis Simmons, Engineer/Inspector Damien Manuele and Firefighter/Paramedic Blake Brooks.

In addition to the Elks honors, each honoree was also recognized by some of the elected officials in attendance, a group that included Lompoc Mayor Bob Lingl, 24th District Congressman Salud Carbajal, and Santa Barbara County 4th District Supervisor Peter Adam, among others.