U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson Recognizes Sonoma County Public Safety Heroes

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Each year, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson honors law enforcement officers and first responders who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

On Sunday, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Officer Deborah Lamaison, the Santa Rosa Maui Recovery Team, and Santa Rosa Police Department's K9 Ghost received that honor.

Compassionate Approach To Policing

Lamaison is a school resource officer in Rohnert Park who has made it her mission to engage with students and the community to pursue positive and successful outcomes and foster trust.

Before her current role for the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, Lamaison also served as a detective, a firefighter and a member of the Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team. Since she began serving as a school resource officer, Lamaison has worked to build meaningful relationships with students, staff, faculty and the community. She regularly engages with youth in not just one school, but all the schools within the city’s jurisdiction.

Her compassionate approach to policing has been part of her mission to thoughtfully engage with those around her to reach positive and successful outcomes whilst fostering trust within the community. Lamaison has set a public example of how law enforcement can engage with youth and keep our students and school campuses safer.

Sonoma County's First Firearm Detection K9

Ghost, a 2-year-old Malinois, is Sonoma County’s first firearm detection K9. With his handler Officer Aaron Gonzales-Campos, Ghost identifies firearms and has helped crack down on illegal firearms in our communities.

Ghost was born in Modesto and began his service with the Santa Rosa Police Department in September 2022. He lives and works with his partner, Officer Gonzales-Campos, along with Officer Gonzales-Campos’ wife and two daughters. Ghost enjoys being a big brother to his two little sisters.

In a time of rampant gun violence, the Ghost serves a crucial role in the community. After hundreds of hours of training and achieving certification in January 2023, Ghost can detect odors from firearms and related objects such as ammunition. After identifying an odor, Ghost identifies the threat to his partner.

In his first year and in addition to his regular duties, Ghost intercepted and removed eight illegal firearms from the streets of Santa Rosa. Just two weeks ago, he helped bust an identity theft ring that was also manufacturing illegal ghost guns and assault rifles. With a proactive approach to intercepting illegal firearms, Ghost is keeping Santa Rosa safe and reducing the risk of violent crimes.

Team Of Extraordinary Public Servants Answers The Call

While people across our nation watched in horror as wildfires engulfed Lahaina, many in our district found the sight sickeningly familiar. Just a few years prior in 2017, the Tubbs Fire swept through Santa Rosa destroying thousands of homes and taking 22 lives. Our community has hard-won wisdom when it comes to recovering from wildfire. When FEMA Region IX Administrator Robert Fenton called Santa Rosa to ask for its expertise, a team of extraordinary public servants answered: Division Chief–Fire Marshall Paul Lowenthal, Deputy Director of Water and Sewer Operations Joe Schiavone, Chief Building Officer Jesse Oswold, Marin Water Communications and Public Affairs Officer Adriane Mertens and Programmer–Analyst Jake Bayless.

The Santa Rosa Maui Recovery Team landed in Maui on Aug. 27, 2023. Over the coming months, this team of dedicated professionals channeled their experience responding to tragedy at home to helping those in Maui recover from the devastating wildfires they experienced Aug. 8-11, 2023. Team members provided extensive technical guidance in debris removal, information recovery, public communications, sewer service restoration, water service restoration and the development of Maui's official recovery web portal.

"This team epitomizes service to others, and I am proud to recognize them, Deborah and Ghost as this year's public safety heroes from Sonoma County," Thompson said.

They were among 11 public safety heroes recognized Sunday by the Congressman. Below is the full list of honorees within Thompson's Congressional District, which encompasses all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

• Daniel Eagle, Clearlake Police Department
• Chrissy Valdez, Northshore Fire Protection
• Nick Deguilio, Napa County Sheriff’s Office
• J.C. Greenberg, CAL FIRE
• Lauren Coughlan, Vacaville Police Department
• Andrew Tomelloso, Dixon Fire Department
• Debbie Lamaison, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety
• Santa Rosa Maui Recovery Team
• Ghost, Santa Rosa Police Department K9
• Joe Farrow, UC Davis Police Department
• Clarksburg Fire Protection District

"Our first responders and law enforcement are the first line of defense for our communities and work to keep us safe," Thompson said. "Our district is home to outstanding public safety officials who go above and beyond in their service, and I am proud to recognize them each year as public safety heroes."