Local peace officers, fighters honored by T.O. Elks Lodge




LISA ADAMS/The AcornTHE BEST OF THE BEST--In the front row (from left to right) are: Ventura County Senior Dep. Debbie DeMattia, Ventura County firefighter Peter Jensen, and Ventura area California Highway Patrol Officer Russ Carver. In the back row (from lleft to right) are: attorney and awards' chairman Scott Dool, L.A. County Dep. Kevin Duncan, L.A. County firefighter Tony Fina, West Valley area California Highway Patrol Officer Charles Jensen and T.O. Elks Exalted Ruler Jacob Panczak.

LISA ADAMS/The AcornTHE BEST OF THE BEST–In the front row (from left to right) are: Ventura County Senior Dep. Debbie DeMattia, Ventura County firefighter Peter Jensen, and Ventura area California Highway Patrol Officer Russ Carver. In the back row (from lleft to right) are: attorney and awards’ chairman Scott Dool, L.A. County Dep. Kevin Duncan, L.A. County firefighter Tony Fina, West Valley area California Highway Patrol Officer Charles Jensen and T.O. Elks Exalted Ruler Jacob Panczak.

Local peace officers, fighters honored by T.O. Elks Lodge


By Debbie Sporich


Acorn Staff Writer

Six civil servants who serve in health and safety posts were recognized by the T.O. Elks during the "Officer of the Year" awards’ banquet last week.


Amidst laughter and jokes from master of ceremonies Scott Dool, awards’ chairman for the Thousand Oaks Elks Lodge No. 2477, was the solemn realization that public safety lies in the hands of a few talented and dedicated men and women.


According to Jacob Panczak, exulted ruler of the Elks No. 2477, the 24th Annual Law Enforcement and Firefighter Awards banquet is a time to recognize those from Ventura and Los Angeles counties who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. "We honor them by honoring all the agencies here and presenting them with a dinner, an awards’ ceremony and tokens of recognition," Panczak said.


Panczak has been a member of the Elks for six years, and at 35 was the youngest member to hold the title of exulted ruler of the 548-member organization. Panczak gives full credit to Scott Dool for coordinating the event.


Dool received recommendations for individual awards from the sheriff’s and fire departments and the California Highway Patrol from Ventura and Los Angeles counties.


"We’re not recognizing someone who has done a particular act of heroism that year, but someone who has consistently performed at a level higher than they are expected to," Dool said.


Each award recipient was presented with an "Officer of the Year" plaque from the Elks and a certification of appreciation from T.O. Mayor Dan Del Campo from the city of Thousand Oaks. Tom Ryder, past exalted ruler of the Elks, stood in for Ventura County Supervisor Frank Schillo, who was ill and unable to attend.


Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks recognized Senior Dep. Debbie DeMattia for her "unwavering dedication and professionalism." Brooks went on to describe DeMattia’s efforts as a major and sex crimes investigator, her 100 percent filing and conviction rate, and that she gets the job done with empathy and compassion. "She is defending the most defenseless people," Brooks said.


Division Chief Bryan Vanden-bossche from the Ventura County Fire Protection District recognized firefighter Peter Jensen who’s been at Ventura County for the last two years and had spent eight years in Pt. Mugu Fire Department. He’s a member of the HazMat Specialist Resource pool, a HazMat instructor cadre, flammable liquids instructor cadre, proximity suit research project member and crash truck research team member. Jensen is also a member of the Spanner and Friends Public Education Unit and "likes to give back to the community he lives in."


Capt. Scott MacGregor from the Ventura area California Highway Patrol recognized Officer Russ Carver.


His superiors as well as his peers, MacGregor said, nominated Carver. "Russ gives his lunch hours to read to the first grade class at Walnut Elementary School. He gives at his job and in the community," MacGregor said.


Capt. John O’Brien and Lt. Phil Hansen from Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on the L.A. County side recognized Dep. Kevin Duncan. O’Brien summed it up best when he said, "Kevin, you raised the bar." Hansen said the best way to serve the community is to put crooks in jail. "And it’s the guys that work in the middle of the night that seldom get the accolades that they deserve," Hansen said.


Battalion Chief Eric Ekeberg from Los Angeles County Fire Department recognized firefighter Tony Fina, the apparatus engineer for the organization. "There is nothing on the fire apparatus that Tony can’t fix, drive or do," Ekeberg said.


Sgt. Gary Greenfield from the Los Angeles County West Valley Area California Highway Patrol recognized Officer Charles Jensen. Among Jensen’s accomplishments is a Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) award he recently received for arresting intoxicated motorists.


The Elks is a charitable organization that provides services and programs to children and U.S. veterans. The value of the Elks’ charitable works last year was more than $133 million. To learn more about the Thousand Oaks Elks Lodge 2477, visit the Website at www.elks2477.com.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *