Costa Mesa Police, Fire honor their own
Deepa Bharath
Sgt. Marty Carver recalled a day in his childhood when his mom caught
him stealing a roll of pop caps from the store and took him to task
for it.
Officer Derek Trusk laughed at how he caught a thief driving a
stolen recreational vehicle in the middle of the night.
Officer Tony Yannizzi described his love for the department he has
served for eight years.
Officer Larry Fettis took pride in his knowledge of the city’s
streets.
Officer Jeffrey Graham talked about the day he saved the life of a
3-day-old infant, and Carver choked up as he spoke of a fellow
officer being diagnosed with cancer.
Several awards were handed out Friday afternoon to Costa Mesa’s
police and fire officials at the 44th annual Public Safety Awards
Luncheon. But what several community members saw Friday was a side of
their officers that doesn’t surface when they’re patrolling city
streets.
The event, sponsored by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, was
punctuated with gregarious laughter, pregnant pauses and silent tears
as officers surprised the audience with a touching display of their
emotional, human side.
Former Police Chief David Snowden presented the awards to police
officers after new Chief John Hensley requested him to do so. Hensley
said he would like to see more officers attend such events.
“If they can be here, they should be here,” he said. “And they
should be here in uniform. It’s a great opportunity for them to
network and meet with the community.”
Hensley said award functions are always heart warming.
“The officers today will walk away from here encouraged and
refreshed,” he said.
Fire Chief Jim Ellis made the presentations for winners from his
department.
“I’m proud of every member of my department,” he said.
Ellis said he hopes to continue partnering with the Police
Department on investigations and other assignments, something that
was accomplished during Snowden’s time as chief.
Kirk Dominic, awarded Fire Officer of the Year, could not attend
because he is a major in the U.S. Army and was deployed during
wartime. He is still serving in Texas. Also, Doug Wilson, who was
awarded Firefighter of the Year, could not receive his award because
he is in the hospital recovering from a surgery.
* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be
reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.
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