Honoring the Civilians
Story by DeAngelo Thompson, Club Customer Service Rep, and
Cheryl Martin, Club Counselor. Photos by DeAngelo Thompson
On May 22, the LAFD honored its civilian employees. The event took place at Dodger Stadium.
The LAFD has more than 300 non-sworn members that provide professional support that directly corresponds with pursuit of the Department’s mission of saving life and property.
The LAFD’s Civilian Employee Recognition Committee (CERC) was established in 1991 to recognize outstanding civilian employee performance. The CERC is comprised of Department civilian and uniformed personnel. At the start of the program, awards were presented quarterly. Then in 1997, the awards program was presented in a yearly format. The Employees of the Year are chosen from the following three categories, based on the Department’s civilian civil service classification’s memorandum of understanding:
- Clerical
- Shop Maintenance
- Professional/Specialized Skills
During the end of the calendar year, nominations are solicited from the entire Department. Over the course of several days and with the strictest confidence, the CERC reviews each nomination submitted for civilian employee recognition criteria. The CERC then conducts interviews with the nominators. Finally, the CERC Chair performs background checks on the finalists. Once this process is completed, the CERC recommends the candidates to the Fire Chief in the following categories:
- Fire Chief’s Award of Excellence
- Employees of the Year
- Certificates of Special Recognition
- Fire Chief’s Group Award of Excellence
Upon selection, the Fire Chief and the Administrative Operations Commander notify the Employees of the Year and other honorees. The CERC then plans and coordinates the Civilian Employees Recognition Awards Luncheon to celebrate with the honorees and their families, friends, co-workers, and sponsors. In 2013, the Certificates for Perfect Attendance was introduced to the Awards Program, honoring those employees for their perfect attendance for the past year.
Congratulations to the honorees!
Special thanks go to Jennifer Corona, Chair, LAFD Civilian Employee Recognition Committee. Also thanks to Fred Mathis, Chief Deputy, Administrative Operations, and Alfred Poirier, Chief Deputy, Emergency Operations.
LAFD Civilian Honorees 2019Employee of the Year:Shop Maintenance: Devin Dekoning, Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic Fire Chief Award of Excellence:Terrance Ito, EMS Nurse Practitioner Supervisor Certificates of Special Recognition:Dishan Chaudhuri, Equipment Mechanic Certificates of Perfect Attendance:Alvin Dong |
