At this year’s City of Lakewood Award of Valor Luncheon, Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) Battalion Chief William Mayfield and firefighters from Fire Station 94 were recognized for their heroism and outstanding service to the community. The awards luncheon took place on Thursday, November 7, 2019.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Errett joined hundreds of guests, including business leaders, public safety professionals and members of the community, to acknowledge the dedicated work of local heroes and first responders.
This year, Chief Mayfield received the Distinguished Service Award for his three decades of service. He began his career as a firefighter in 1989. He has served as a battalion chief for 15 years, four of which have been in Battalion 9, overseeing operations for fire stations in Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood and Paramount.
Chief Mayfield grew up in Cerritos, graduated from Lakewood High School and now lives in Lakewood.
The Award of Valor was primarily presented to personnel from Fire Station 94 (as well as Fire Stations 30 and 34) and Squad 30.
On May 11, 2019, firefighters were dispatched to a residential fire in Lakewood. The initial report indicated that there was a possible person trapped inside the home. During the search and rescue operations, firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to successfully find all the occupants and get them to safety.
At the luncheon, team members were acknowledged for their quick assessment and decisive action.
Here are this year’s Award of Valor honorees:
- Fire Captain Stephen Kolstad
- Fire Fighter Specialist Jeffrey Windle
- Fire Fighter Paramedic Jose Tovar
- Fire Fighter James Fregosi
- Fire Fighter Sherman Heath
- Fire Fighter Adam Ruth
Distinguished Service Award Honoree:
- Battalion Chief William Mayfield
