RESEDA : Officer, Firefighter of the Year Named

A former Rhodesian tobacco farmer and an amateur photographer were named Reseda police officer and firefighter of the year, respectively, Thursday by the Reseda Chamber of Commerce and the city of Los Angeles.

The awards are given annually to recognize exceptional performance and dedication by a member of the Los Angeles police and fire departments.

Russ Long, a senior lead officer with the West Valley Division, was named Police Officer of the Year. Long, who was born in England, lived in Rhodesia before moving to the United States in 1966. Valentino Paniccia, West Valley area captain and Long’s superior, compared Long to “a British statesman.”

“His accent makes people want to listen to him, and he has a fine degree of politeness,” he said. “Russ is able to establish a rapport with anybody. He can resolve most situations verbally.”

Long, who has been with the Police Department 22 years, is both a patrol officer and a community outreach officer for the department. He said he spends much of his day on the phone listening to problems from area business owners and residents.

“I meet an incredible array of the finest members of the community. It’s distressing to me to find out they have been victims,” he said. Helping victims organize to prevent crime is what makes the job gratifying, he said.

Firefighter of the Year was awarded to Dennis Heflin, a Vietnam veteran who recently traveled to Africa to photograph wildlife. Heflin, who has been a firefighter 22 years, drives what firefighters call “the squirt,” a pump engine with a 50-foot boom for fighting large fires, the only one in the city, said Capt. Charlie Casper, Heflin’s superior at Station No. 73.

The engine pumps 1,200 gallons per minute and requires a high degree of skill to operate, Casper said. Heflin’s skill became especially apparent last year during the riots, when Heflin spent 30 hours fighting fires in South-Central Los Angeles.

“All the new recruits look up to him for advice,” said Ann Kinzle, executive director of the Reseda chamber.