Governor Gavin Newsom recently honored three California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) staff members with the prestigious Gold Star award, the state's highest recognition for a public safety officer. The recipients, Thomas Coyle, a senior laboratory assistant at Mule Creek State Prison; Correctional Sgt. Charles Davis from Pelican Bay State Prison; and Correctional Officer Rogelio Tienda from California State Prison, Corcoran, were celebrated at the State Employee Medal of Valor ceremony. Governor Newsom commended their remarkable courage in the face of immediate life-threatening peril, acknowledging their full awareness of the risks involved. CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber praised their brave and selfless actions, highlighting that CDCR employees are always ready to serve their communities, transcending their official roles.

Thomas Coyle was recognized for his heroic actions on August 28, 2023, during a four-vehicle accident on Highway 16 in Sacramento County. Coyle, while stopped at a red light, witnessed a garbage truck collide with a Chevy Silverado, causing it to burst into flames. Two other vehicles were also involved, striking a power pole that began to lean and ignite. After alerting a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer who initially missed the incident, Coyle rushed to assist those in danger. He pulled the badly injured Chevy driver from the engulfed vehicle to safety behind the CHP car, and later moved him further away from the threatening flames. Noticing the garbage truck was also on fire, Coyle alerted the officer, and together they pulled that driver to safety as well. Even as fire personnel arrived and warned of the leaning power pole, Coyle again risked his life to move the garbage truck driver to a safer location. "I stopped to help because that is what I do," Coyle stated, his bravery saving two lives that day.

Sgt. Charles Davis displayed exceptional bravery on August 4, 2023, after finishing a double shift at Pelican Bay State Prison. Driving home, he noticed a house on fire. Despite being bitten several times by dogs inside, Davis entered the burning residence after learning from a neighbor that multiple people lived there. He found a young man sleeping in a bedroom, who had a severe mental handicap causing him to sleep heavily due to medication. Davis woke the young man, carried him to safety, and also rescued three dogs. His quick and selfless intervention likely prevented the young man and the animals from perishing in the blaze. Davis humbly commented, "It wasn’t something I was looking to do or trying to receive credit for. I was just trying to do the right thing.”

Correctional Officer Rogelio Tienda was honored for his prompt and courageous response to a horrific hit-and-run collision in May 2023. While driving home from Corcoran State Prison, another officer, Alejandro Vasquez, was struck head-on, rendering him unconscious and igniting his car. Upon discovering the scene, Tienda swiftly retrieved a crowbar from his trunk, broke a window, and pulled Vasquez to safety. He moved Vasquez away from the flames and remained with him until help arrived. The California Highway Patrol later apprehended a suspect for DUI and hit-and-run. Tienda’s decisive and brave actions were truly heroic, saving a fellow officer’s life.

The Gold Star award is presented for extraordinary acts of heroism by a state employee, extending far above and beyond the normal call of duty or service, performed at great risk to one's own life in an effort to save human life. The California Department of Human Resources sponsors the Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor Award, with nominations made by the employees' departments and reviewed by the statewide Merit Award Board. Since its inception in 1959, over 800 state employees have received Medals of Valor, signifying it as the highest honor California bestows upon its public servants. Coyle, Davis, and Tienda were collectively recognized for their bravery at CDCR’s Medal of Valor Ceremony in 2024.