Norwalk's Community Promotion Commission and Public Safety Commission held an appreciation luncheon on Oct. 17 to honor the men and women who respond to emergencies in the city. Event presenters thanked attendees from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol and Norwalk Public Safety, saying the gathering was a small token of the city's gratitude.

"Your service keeps Norwalk safe and strong," an event presenter said, thanking first responders for their courage and continued partnership with the city. The luncheon featured remarks from city leaders and commissioners and recognized collaborative training and outreach described elsewhere in the program, including a Sept. 24 regional tabletop exercise aimed at improving school-lockdown and emergency communication protocols.

Organizers said the event was intended to strengthen ties between the city and its public-safety partners and to publicly acknowledge daily work by officers, firefighters and first-responder personnel. No policy decisions or formal votes were taken during the luncheon portion of the program.