State Park Peace Officer

Department of Parks and Recreation

11/9/2018

Special Act Award (Gold)

On the morning of November 9, 2018, State Park Peace Officers Scott Sipes and Matthew Stalter were called away from teaching at the Law Enforcement Academy at Butte College to respond to the Camp Fire in Butte County. They were directed to Feather River Hospital to assist with evacuations. However, before they could get to the hospital, the two officers stopped to help with evacuations in the area of Clark Road and Pentz Road with officers from other agencies. Traffic quickly became an issue and they helped coordinate traffic at Skyway and Pentz Roads. At this intersection, traffic became gridlocked and a large crowd formed. The fire was quickly approaching and a decision was made to move the group to the nearby shopping center to shelter in place. Officers Sipes and Stalter helped move the group and then made a final sweep on Pentz Road for evacuees. Before they could get back to the shelter area, the rapidly moving fire jumped the road, trapping the officers and the evacuees. They used the Paradise Ridge Southern Baptist Church for a shelter amidst homes engulfed in fire. Once the fire passed, Officers Sipes and Stalter relocated the evacuees and civilian vehicles to the Kmart Shopping Center on Wagstaff Road and Clark Road. The two officers then went to Feather River Hospital to evacuate and transport patients to Oroville. While evacuating two patients, they had to stop and extinguish a vehicle that was on fire. They continued to help evacuate people from the area, allowing nothing to deter them, including being nipped by a dog while trying to get people to safety. With no regard for his own safety, Officers Stalter went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Department of Parks and Recreation State Park Peace Officer Matthew Stalter.