Sapeta, De La Torre named Lake County Public Safety Heroes of the Year
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Congressman Mike Thompson honored two of Lake County’s first responders during a weekend ceremony.
Thompson (CA-05) announced the recipients of the Fifth Congressional District’s Public Safety Hero of the Year Award on Saturday.
Each year, Thompson honors at least one local law enforcement officer and one local first responder from each county in his district with the Public Safety Hero Award.
For Lake County, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Marc De La Torre and Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta have been selected.
“It is my honor to recognize Deputy De La Torre and Chief Sapeta as our Public Safety Heroes for Lake County,” said Thompson. “They have dedicated their lives to keeping our community safe and have gone above and beyond in their public service throughout their careers. We are proud to have such heroes in our community and thank them for their service.”
The awards are meant to honor law enforcement officers and first responders who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, Thompson’s office reported.
“Our local public safety officers are some of our most vital community members, putting their lives on the line to keep us safe and often working overtime during emergencies, such as our recent fires,” said Thompson. “I am humbled to once again present my annual Public Safety Hero Award to the local law enforcement officers and first responders who demonstrate exceptional courage and dedication day in and day out. It is an incredible honor to represent so many dedicated and heroic public servants.”
Deputy De La Torre, who joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in December 2015, is being recognized for his heroism and quick thinking on the job last fall when he came across a mother with an unresponsive child in her arms.
De La Torre’s professional and swift response helped ensure the child lived and got medical care, changing a family’s life for the better, Thompson said.
Thompson lauded Chief Sapeta for being “the go-to guy” when it comes to emergency response in Lake County, coordinating trainings, drills and safety exercises and ensuring the county has the most up to date protocols to keep our community safe.
Sapeta and his firefighters have faced down devastating wildland fires in Lake County, particularly over the last several years.
He’s known for his constant presence both at work and for his family.
Sapeta told Lake County News that the award was a “totally unexpected” honor, and one that left him humbled and, uncharacteristically, at a loss for words.
“It was an honor. It truly was. It touched me very deeply,” he said.
He acknowledged the other recipients, who he said have done so much, crediting them for doing “far more than I do.”
Sapeta has been chief of the Lake County Fire Protection District for nine years, and this July will mark his 40th year in the fire service.
He said he began as a volunteer in his junior year at Middletown High School, the same year that he took his first emergency medical technician training course.
In 1982, when he graduated from high school, he began his paramedic training, he said.
For several years he said he worked as a “roving employee,” working part-time shifts at fire districts all around the lake.
In 1985 and 1986, he worked for the fire department in Lucerne before going to work for his current district in 1987, he said. He’s been with the district for 33 years.
In addition to the 11 honorees from each of the counties Thompson represents, Thompson also honored celebrity chefs Jose Andres and Tyler Florence with a special Public Safety Hero Award in honor of their work to provide meals and support during the recent fires.
The full list of the Public Safety Heroes of the Year for the Fifth Congressional District is below:
– Chief Dean Colombo, Crockett-Carquinez Fire Department;
– Officer Jennifer Witschi and her K9 partner, Milo, Pinole Police Department;
– Chief Neil Gang, Pinole Police Department;
– Deputy Marc De La Torre, Lake County Sheriff’s Office;
– Chief Willie Sapeta, Lake County Fire Protection District;
– Detective Garrett Smith, Napa Police Department;
– Scott Rose, Napa Emergency Services;
– Officer John Ehman, Vallejo Police Department;
– Captain Patrick Wong, Vallejo Police Department;
– Lieutenant Shawn Murphy, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office;
– Chief Mark Heine, Sonoma County Fire District;
– Jose Andres, celebrity chef and local second responder;
– Tyler Florence, celebrity chef and local second responder.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
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