 | | | Officer Jacqueline Dennison Photo Cathy Tyson
| | | | | | At a recent City Council meeting, Chief Mike Hubbard recognized Officer Jacqueline Dennison as Lafayette's Officer of the Year, "We couldn't be more proud of her."
She's been working in Lafayette for the past five and a half years, and has gone above and beyond the call of duty on more than once occasion. Residents may remember a dramatic car crash into a house on South Silver Springs Road a while ago. The driver had a medical emergency and there was a child in the back strapped into a car seat. Officer Dennison and her partner Officer Ryan Sullivan, rescued both individuals while gasoline was leaking all around. She selflessly volunteered to get the toddler out of the back seat, knowing that a single spark could cause a dramatic explosion.
A second incident occurred at 6:30 in the morning - the first call of the day, there was a medical emergency. "I responded with a Code 3 - sirens and lights." A 63-year-old woman had a heart attack. Dennison used her defibrillator and performed CPR for seven minutes until paramedics arrived. She saw the woman's son later at the Art and Wine Festival; he thanked her again for saving his mom's life.
"It's all part of the job," said Dennison. Look for her patrolling the streets of Lafayette in a four door Dodge Charger. With a wry smile, she notes, "it's very maneuverable." C. Tyson
(A letter of commendation for Officer Dennison appears in Letters to the Editor, page A8)
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA