HONORS IN STORE FOR LOCAL HEROES CLARA BARTON WINNERS NAMED.

Byline: ERIC LEACH

Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY -- Because of her, a 15-month-old baby cheated death, a pregnant woman delivered life and a 9-year-old stopped an adult from choking.

And for her heroics, Deanna King will be honored Saturday as the American Red Cross of Ventura County's female Lifesaver of the Year.

King, 43, is a dispatcher for the Ventura County Fire Department. She and six other women will be recognized at the fourth annual Clara Barton Awards.

"She has been with us less than a year, and this is an incredible honor for somebody who is so new," said Steve McClellan, the department's fire communications manager who nominated King for the honor. "It's not an easy job. She was still in what we consider a trainee status at the time of all three of these incidents. She has demonstrated the ability to provide calm, compassionate reassurance to the callers."

King said she was taken aback by the honor and gave credit to the response from those on the other end of the 911 calls.

"In every one of these cases the people were calm and receptive to instructions," she said. "Those are the people who are real heroes in my opinion. You can imagine if you had a loved one in front of you and you think they are dying."

As a newcomer to the job, she already appreciates what she does.

"It's been a great year, and definitely the most fulfilling job I've ever had," she said. "Every day you feel like you've accomplished something important."

Meanwhile, Samantha Harris, a senior at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks, is being honored at the banquet as Young Woman of the Year.

Harris has collected old prom dresses to benefit the Casa Pacifica home for abused and neglected children and has also worked with Lutheran Social Services to provide meals and sleeping bags for the homeless. She also volunteers with Operation Interdependence to organize goody bags for American troops.

An award-winning equestrian, she also volunteers with the Ride On horseback riding program for people with disabilities.

Other winners include:

Claire Hope, who has worked for 15 years to support the Ventura County Veterans Stand Down for homeless veterans, will receive the Clara's Angel Award. It's named for Barton, who supported troops during the Civil War when she was known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" and organized the American Red Cross.

Celine Zacarias is Diversity Ambassador of the Year for her work to help people in need through organizations like El Concilio del Condado de Ventura and the Ventura County Community Development Foundation.

Jewel Pedi, a co-founder of FOOD Share to provide food for people in need, will receive the Humanitarian of the Year award.

The Philanthropist of the Year award goes to Gloria Friedrich Reed, who has offered years of volunteer service to the community and created the Joseph I. Friedrich Foundation, which has made major financial gifts to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, Santa Clara High School in Oxnard, Casa Pacifica, California State University, Channel Islands, and the Safe Harbor home for abused children and adults.

For more information about the banquet, call the American Red Cross of Ventura County at [phone], Ext. 315.

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(1 -- color) Deanna King, 43, is a dispatcher for the Ventura County Fire Department. She and six other women will be recognized at the fourth annual Clara Barton Awards.

(2) Deanna King will be honored Saturday as the American Red Cross of Ventura County's female Lifesaver of the Year.