[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E57]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING LAUREN COUGHLAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 18, 2024

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Lauren 
Coughlan, a dispatcher with the Vacaville Police Department. I have 
named Ms. Coughlan as a Public Safety Hero of the Year for Solano 
County in California's 4th District as a result of her extraordinary 
selflessness, dedication, and service to others.
  Ms. Coughlan was born in California and from an early age had a 
desire to become a police officer and help our community. Last year she 
completed her bachelor's degree in emergency management and plans to 
continue her education with the goal of earning her master's degree in 
clinical psychology.
  Ms. Coughlan's law enforcement career began in 1998 when she was 16 
years old as a Vacaville Police Department cadet. She later served as 
an intern for the department assigned to Patrol, Records, Property & 
Evidence, Crime Prevention and Dispatch until she was hired as a full-
time dispatcher in July 2003. In 2016 she was promoted to 
communications supervisor of the Vacaville Police Department, where she 
presently serves.
  Ms. Coughlan attended a 3-day Yoga for First Responders training in 
Colorado, with the intent to bring it back and help local first 
responders alleviate their high stress levels. On June 21, 2023, she 
achieved this goal by hosting a yoga class at the Solano Events Center, 
for members of the Solano County Sheriffs Office, Solano County 
Probation Department, California Highway Patrol, Fairfield Police 
Department and Vacaville Police Department. She additionally assisted 
in teaching classes at the Fairfield Police Department, California Law 
Enforcement Telecommunications System Users Group Raining conference 
and multiple classes at the Vacaville Police Department.
  Ms. Coughlan is an active member of Solano Family First Responders, a 
nonprofit organization supporting the first responder community and 
their families, She also is an assistant team leader with the Emergency 
Tactical Communications Team, responding with SWAT to critical 
incidents and a member of the Vacaville Telecommunicator's Emergency 
Response Team, responding to dispatch mutual aid requests throughout 
the state during wildfires and other major events.
  Ms. Coughlan is an active member in our community, regularly managing 
and presenting 9-1-1 presentations for kids at local elementary schools 
and other community outreach events such as First Responder's Day at 
Hemlock Elementary School and National Night Out. She coordinates and 
participates in the communications center's annual tree donation for 
Festival of Trees. She also played a major role in coordinating the New 
Year's Eve fundraising event for retired officer Walt Simon and plays a 
supporting role in many other fundraising events supporting first 
responders.
  Ms. Coughlan currently lives in Vacaville with her foster puppy, 
Sundae, and enjoys traveling in her spare time. She is proud of her 
Irish heritage and dual citizenship. Ms. Coughlan is passionate about 
mental health, wellness, and resiliency. She plans to focus on 
continuing her education and training in resiliency and the 
neurobiology of stress and trauma in the first responder environment.
  Mr. Speaker, we thank Ms. Coughlan for her persistence, service, and 
commitment to our community. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that 
we honor her here today.

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