Department honors responders

When Burbank firefighter/paramedic Michael McDonald responded to a

shooting on a rainy Saturday night in 2003, his focus was on the job

he had to do and not on the potentially dangerous situation he found

himself in.

With gunfire taking place minutes before his arrival in the

parking lot of the Ramada Inn on San Fernando Boulevard, McDonald

found himself on his own as he tended to wounded Burbank Police

Officer Gregory Campbell while his partner, Ken Allen, went to

Officer Matthew Pavelka, who had been fatally wounded.

“We worked on them as we would with anyone but it was a little

notch higher when you have the gunfire prior to arrival and we didn’t

know how many people were loose with guns “ said McDonald, a 15-year

veteran of the department. “But you just focus on what you need to do

and go in there.”

McDonald, Allen and four other Burbank firefighter/paramedics were

presented Tuesday afternoon with the department’s Medals of Valor for

their response at the Nov. 15, 2003, shooting of Pavelka and

Campbell.

Prior to Tuesday’s presentations, the Medal of Valor had only been

presented to a Burbank firefighter once in the past 40 years.

The award is given to a firefighter responding above and beyond

the call of duty and placing their life in danger when responding to

an emergency.

Also receiving the medal were Captain Pat Latham and Engineer Doug

Puckett, who gave medical care to Pavelka; and firefighter/paramedics

Travont White and Scott Schweiter, who tended to Campbell.

Interim Burbank Fire Chief Tracy Pansini recognized that any of

the firefighters and police officers gathered on the steps of fire

and police headquarters during the ceremony would have acted in the

same way.

“But it was [the recipient’s] turn, their tour and their duty and

that is what we are recognizing today,” Pansini said.

McDonald said what he and his colleagues did that night was

similar to what they do every day with the big difference being the

hazardous conditions.

“It’s a great honor for all of us,” McDonald said. “With all the

fun and joking around we do with each other, when something big comes

down we work as a team and it’s really something special.”

In June 2004, the Burbank Police Department recognized 16 officers

for their heroism in response to the shooting. Pavelka was

posthumously given the Medal of Valor and Campbell was named the

department’s Officer of the Year.

Campbell and Pavelka encountered Ramon Aranda and David Garcia

after Campbell noticed the SUV they were in had paper plates and no

visible registration, police said. As they approached the SUV, Aranda

and Garcia got out and opened fire on the officers, police said.

Pavelka and Aranda were both killed and Campbell was wounded.

Garcia, 21, who prosecutors have accused of killing Pavelka, got

away and was arrested two weeks later in Mexico following a manhunt

by numerous police agencies, including the Glendale Police.

Los Angeles Police Detective Michael Pavelka, the father of the

slain officer, noted that the paramedics risked their lives as much

as the police officers did when they arrived at the hotel parking

lot.

“Imagine showing up at a scene with three people down -- two dead

or dying and the third seriously injured -- and without thought they

did their duty and did a great job.

“Unfortunately they weren’t able to save Matt, but I know they

tried,” Pavelka said.

Also recognized for their participation in responding to the

shooting scene were Pansini, who was battalion commander; Disaster

Preparedness Coordinator Rich Baenen; Capt. Frank Walbert; and

firefighter/paramedics Tony Soffa and Victor Marquez.

The department also honored Firefighter of the Year

Engineer/Paramedic Robert Lanning, a 24-year veteran;

firefighter/paramedic Kelly Chulick with a letter of appreciation for

his work with the annual Spark of Love toy drive and participation in

a program exposing high school students to firefighting careers; and

commendation of service honors to fire safety analyst Jorge Martinez,

firefighter James Enriquez, engineer John Hannick and

Captain/Paramedic Daryl Isozaki.