Arcadia-Monrovia-Duarte Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2070 will honor its Fire Fighter and Law Enforcement Officer of the Year this Saturday evening. The honors will go to two first responders who were nominated by public safety agencies in the Post's service area.
The Fire Fighter of the Year nominees are Fire Fighter Paramedic Fred Barbosa of the LA County Fire Department's Duarte station, and Fire Fighter Paramedic Joe Jansen of the Monrovia Fire Department. Barbosa has more than a dozen years with LA County, and has accumulated extensive specialized training which he uses as an instructor and manager for a variety of programs. Jansen, a UCLA graduate, has only been with MFD for 18 months, but has already been instrumental in securing a large grant that will fund urban search and rescue equipment for the department.
The Law Enforcement Officer of the Year nominees are La County Sheriff's Deputy Wayne Goodrich from Duarte and Agent John Donchig from Monrovia PD. Goodrich has been a deputy for two decades, with many years in Duarte where he is an expert on local gangs and drugs. Donchig recently completed his master's degree at UC Irvine and has accumulated numerous accolades, most recently being named the MPD Officer of the Year.
In addition to the awards, the Post will be unveiling a new scholarship fund to recognize people who make a difference in the community.
