Wellington’s Public Safety Committee has picked the village’s top cop and top firefighter honorees for 2025, recognizing a mall-patrolling crimefighter steeped in community work, as well as a homegrown battler of blazes who also serves as a special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team medic.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dwayne Brown and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Driver Operator Andrew Moreira each snared 4-0 votes to separate from other candidates at a meeting Wednesday, June 11.
Committee Member Matthew Ladd said Brown’s handling of an emergency at an area hospital prompted him to send an e-mail praising him to his PBSO chain of command. “He did an amazing job with that,” Ladd said.
Brown patrols the sector that contains the Mall at Wellington Green and surrounding shops and apartment complexes, noted a nominating memo from Sgt. Franklin Paul Schofield. In that role, he was praised for coordinating well with mall security and getting maximum assets in place to deal with incidents quickly.
Schofield also noted that Brown is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the PBSO’s liaison to the Wellington Rotary Club, where he takes an active role in programs, such as food drives for local families over the holidays. In another capacity, he works with the Julie B. Foundation, honoring the memory of his wife, to provide scholarships for students entering the medical field.
For his part, Moreira has been based at PBCFR Station 20 on Greenview Shores Blvd. for the past seven years.
“In addition to his responsibilities as a driver operator, he plays a vital role as a medic for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team,” according to a nominating memo from District Chief Amanda Vomero. “He places himself in high-risk situations to provide emergency medical support in critical incidents for our sheriff’s deputies. His calm demeanor, tactical medical expertise, and commitment to teamwork make him an invaluable member of both teams.”
Committee Chair Michael Weil supported Moriera’s nomination.
“I do like the fact he’s a homegrown hero, being a graduate of Wellington High School. Also, the work that he does with the SWAT team is very impressive,” he said.
Vomero noted that he continues to live in the village with his wife and three children, all of whom attend Wellington schools.
Other nominees for top firefighter included Capt. Craig Dube, also of Station 20.
“With more than six years as captain of Station 20 and a distinguished career that includes serving as a firefighter/paramedic at Rescue 25, Craig has built a legacy of excellence in the Wellington community,” noted Jonathan Hughes of PBCFR’s Battalion 22 C-Shift in a nominating memo.
Lt. Jason Haythorn, another nominee, has served at Station 30 on Stribling Way for five years. Battalion Chief Corlas Goodman cited his “medical assistance and, at times, mental support to the residents and visitors in the Village of Wellington” in a nominating memo.
Other nominees for top cop included Detective Michael Barbusio. His clearance rate of 31.3 percent on 2024 cases more than doubled the average of 13.9 percent for property crimes, according to a nominating memo from Sgt. Michael Donovan.
Another finalist was Deputy Matthew Finne. He has excelled at traffic stops that uncover dealers of illegal drugs, Sgt. Bryant Lembo wrote in a memo putting his name forward. In one stop of a 20-year-old driver, Finne discovered and confiscated a Taurus .38 revolver that avoided a potentially violent encounter.
Deputy Davis Malvinni was also nominated for his work on everything from felony retail theft to counterfeit license tags and narcotics.
“These incidents reflect Deputy Malvinni’s keen investigative instincts, solid understanding of criminal behavior and dedication to maintaining a high level of community safety,” Sgt. Jean Similien wrote.
