On June 28 Campus Safety officer Sgt. Jose Alvarez received the Award of Valor from the International Association of Law Enforcement Administrators for his heroic actions on Dec. 13, 2017.

Alvarez was on patrol that night when he saw a woman, who was a non-student, sitting on the edge of parking lot K near Alpha Hall. Alvarez approached the woman, immediately pulling her away from the edge despite resistance. Relief from other Campus Safety officers arrived shortly after to aid Alvarez.

“Whether it’s a night where we’re not receiving very many calls, to a night where we may have more of a call load or an emergency situation take place, we as an officer team are continually training to prepare ourselves,” Alvarez said. “Even if it’s a slow night, mentally we need to be prepared to be able to help anyone in an emergency situation.”

Alvarez was also honored with La Mirada’s Community Spotlight Award on May 8 for his actions in the same incident.

“It was definitely a surprise, definitely an honor,” Alvarez said. “It’s not why I come here to do my job, to be honored or recognized, so it was a pleasant surprise.”

This incident was not the first time that Alvarez has been credited with helping save a life while on duty. In 2016 he aided two other officers in helping save a student from a heart attack.

Alvarez began working for Campus Safety in 2003, starting as a cadet while he was still a student at Biola. Alvarez became an officer in 2006, and has been working with Campus Safety ever since.