International Sportsmen's Expo to Host Premiere of Documentary:

"Endangered Species: California Fish and Game Wardens,"

Saturday, January 17, 1:30-3:00pm State Fair Expo, Sacramento

THREE GAME WARDENS RECEIVE 2008 MEDAL OF VALOR

Three California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens received the state’s top award for heroism from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Dec. 9. The stories of these DFG Medal of Valor recipients illustrate how, every day, DFG law enforcement officers put their lives on the line in routine patrol.

“Any patrol, at any moment, can turn into a threat to the life of the warden or an innocent bystander,” said Nancy Foley, DFG Chief of Law Enforcement. “We are very proud of the wardens Governor Schwarzenegger chose to honor.”

Wardens are sworn California peace officers with the same law enforcement authority and general public safety responsibilities as California Highway Patrol (CHP), police and sheriffs’ officers.
Wardens routinely confront armed felons, with no back-up officers. In 2007, wardens made 410,662 law enforcement contacts with members of the public and wrote 15,892 citations. A majority of the people contacted were lawfully armed with a gun and/or knife. For both public safety and their own, wardens maintain intensive training schedules.

The following accounts describe the reason the governor is honoring these wardens. Each describes a day when the warden set out on routine patrol.

Warden Josh Brennan
Approximately 5 p.m. on July 23, 2007, Warden Josh Brennan, of Rancho Cordova, was on foot patrol in rural Butte County, near the town of Paradise. He descended by rope hundreds of feet along the steep canyon wall of the west branch of the Feather River and observed a highly intoxicated man, passed out and vomiting on himself, partially submerged in the river. Warden Brennan pulled the man to the bank.

Unable to make contact with dispatch by use of his portable radio, Warden Brennan ascended the canyon wall to his patrol truck and requested assistance. In 100-degree weather, he descended the canyon wall once again, monitoring the man’s health until a rescue helicopter arrived. Unfortunately, the man could not be flown out of the canyon because a night-time rope system rescue was discounted when it was determined that enough rescue personnel could not be there until 3 a.m.

Warden Brennan ascended the canyon wall again and then descended a third time to the man’s location when DFG Patrol Lt. Kent Harrison arrived to assist. Warden Brennan and Lt. Harrison, by themselves, stayed awake throughout the night with the man in the bottom of the canyon, monitoring and ensuring the man’s safety. At 5 a.m., July 24, they assisted the man in ascending the canyon wall to safety, Warden Brennan’s third such ascent.

Warden Wilbur Brown
On June 18, 2008, Warden Wilbur Brown, of Porterville, had driven his DFG patrol vehicle to Lake Success. As he approached the dam there, Army Corps of Engineers Supervisor Calvin Foster waved for him to pull over.
Foster then pointed out a man sitting in the grass beside the guard-rail of Hwy. 190. He told Warden Brown the man had stolen a stereo and other items from a vehicle at Vista Point.

Warden Brown drove to the subject’s location, exited his vehicle and identified himself as a Fish and Game warden. He ordered the man to lie on the ground so he could safely take him into custody. The man began yelling obscenities and appeared to be impaired by alcohol or drugs. He pulled a folding knife from his pocket, opened it and took an aggressive stance with the blade pointing directly at Warden Brown. Warden Brown immediately drew his firearm. The man lunged toward Warden Brown, extending the knife in his direction.

Based on his advantageous uphill position and 27 years of martial arts training, Warden Brown managed to evade the attacker. He was ultimately able to convince the man to drop the knife. He maintained security of the scene until he received backup from the Tulare County Sheriff’s office, then successfully took him into custody.

Warden Brown's decision not to use deadly force upon being lunged at by an armed attacker was based on superior training and skills. As a result, he was able to avoid taking a human life.

Warden Liz Gregory
On May 29, 2004, Warden Liz Gregory (then Liz Pedro), of Rancho Cordova, was contacting a fisherman on the west side of Pacific Coast Highway near Batiquitos Lagoon in San Diego County. Warden Gregory heard a juvenile cry for help. A boy who would turn 14 the following day was struggling in the waters of Batiquitos Lagoon, a treacherous area with strong rip currents. The boy was in immediate danger of being pulled out
to the ocean and drowning.

The boy was approximately 40 yards from the open ocean when Warden Gregory rushed into the water, fully clothed in her boots, uniform, body armor, fully equipped gun belt, phone and radio. By doing so, Warden Gregory placed her life in jeopardy.

“That’s a very treacherous area,” said State Lifeguard Supervisor Mike Silvestri, whose area includes Carlsbad State Beach, just north of Batiquitos Lagoon. “Anywhere there are rocks and water, there is danger. There are many deep in-shore holes and extremely strong rip currents around this entire area.”

Warden Gregory had never been a lifeguard or water safety instructor, nor taken a lifesaving course. Her only previous water training – other than childhood swimming lessons – was during her warden academy training, where cadets are taught how to survive in the water.

By not stopping to remove her heavy gear before rushing into treacherous waters to save the teenager from drowning, Warden Gregory risked her life to successfully save his.

California Fish and Game wardens risk their lives every day to protect the state’s incredible fish and wildlife resources, as well as the general public. Often referred to as the “Thin Green Line,” they are the first line of defense for California’s fish and wildlife.