On 07/24/14 Corporal Alan Serpa and Deputy James Shackelford received an Attorney General’s Certificate of Commendation from California State Attorney General Kamala Harris for acts of bravery.
On August 8, 2013, the two deputies responded to a structure fire at a residence on the 8000 block of Mountain Meadows Drive, in Mountain Ranch. Upon their arrival, the deputies were told that two people were trapped inside the fully engulfed structure. Corporal Serpa and Deputy Shackelford immediately entered the structure, without any fire gear, and encountering heavy smoke and extreme temperatures, without concern for their own safety. Reaching the room where the individuals were last seen, Corporal Serpa and Deputy Shackelford continued calling their names in an attempt to locate and save them. The bedroom door was hot and smoking, so the deputies decided to breach a wall, using a shovel that they had found in a garage. Inside, searching on their hands and knees, they withstood intense smoke and heat, and faced an encompassing fire. Unfortunately, Corporal Serpa and Deputy Shackelford were forced by the deteriorating structural conditions to vacate the premises before they were able to locate the victims. The deputies risked their lives for two people they had never met, not allowing them to perish without a rescue attempt. Because of their actions they were submitted to the Attorney General’s staff for recognition.
