3 From Valley Cited for Feats as Protectors
Three San Fernando Valley residents were honored Wednesday at the Los Angeles Community Protectors Award Luncheon for their service to the community.
Ambulance driver Joseph P. Ortiz Jr. of Shadow Hills, a 16-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, was honored for his volunteer activities on behalf of handicapped children and victims of the Mexico City earthquake.
Los Angeles Police Detective Roger Pida of Newhall, who has been with the department 22 years, was selected for launching a program that counsels youths who have been in trouble with the law.
Henry A. Johnson Jr. of Northridge, a Los Angeles firefighter for 14 years, was cited for developing a 911 emergency number sticker program and an earthquake-preparedness training program for city employees and their families.
About 800 people attended the ceremony, with entertainer Danny Thomas as master of ceremonies. The awards luncheon was dedicated to Arleigh E. McCree, a senior detective in the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad who was killed Feb. 8 trying to defuse a pipe bomb.
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