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| CDCR Honors Staff at 33rd Annual Medal of Valor Ceremony |
| By California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation |
| Published: 09/17/2018 |
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ELK GROVE ― Sixty-eight exemplary California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) employees were honored for their bravery and excellence during the department’s 2018 Medal of Valor Ceremony Friday at Creekside Christian Church. “Today, we honor heroes who have been placed in situations that call for action that is above and beyond the normal demands of duty,” acting CDCR Secretary Ralph Diaz said. “While facing danger or adversity, many of these men and women have demonstrated split-second decision-making, bravery and integrity.” Sixteen employees present at the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, were honored with the Medal of Valor, CDCR’s highest award for bravery in the face of life-threatening peril. They faced a disaster almost beyond comprehension – the worst mass shooting in modern history in the United States. Their sacrifices and the tragic loss of life were recognized during the ceremony. Also honored was the family of the late Lt. Derrick “Bo” Taylor, whose actions at the shooting saved lives, while he sacrificed his own. Folsom State Prison was well represented by Correctional Officer Chris Peterson and Supervising Registered Nurse II David Toman. Both received the Silver Star Medal which is awarded for acts of bravery under extraordinary or unusual circumstances in which the employee displays courage in the face of potential peril while saving or attempting to save the life of another person. Peterson dove into the frigid San Joaquin River to rescue two men who were struggling in the current last year after one suffered a cardiac event. Toman performed similar heroics last year, saving a man who cried out for help before disappearing under moving water in the Yuba River. Four employees received the Bronze Star Medal, awarded to employees who have used proper training and tactics in a professional manner to save, or contribute to saving, the life of another person. Correctional Sergeant Joel Herrera of San Quentin State Prison received the Bronze Star after saving the life of a young boy who had been struck by a vehicle and was lying unconscious on the ground. Herrera, a former EMT firefighter, helped the boy breathe into a tube until the ambulance arrived. The boy survived. Seventeen Pelican Bay State Prison employees received Gold Star Medals, reserved for those who perform heroic deeds in the face of immediate peril to save the life of another person, after they acted quickly to quell a large-scale riot last year despite some of them suffering severe injuries. CDCR also awarded Distinguished Service Medals, Unit Citation Medals and Employee Recognition Awards. “Today’s honorees, their noble acts and innovative ideas are an inspiration to us all,” Diaz said. The Medal of Valor Ceremony was broadcast live on the CACorrections Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cacorrections and can be found in the video archives. For a complete list of 2018 award winners, visit https://goo.gl/vDj2ni. For photos or more information, email Alexandra.Powell@cdcr.ca.gov. |
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