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WASHINGTON — With 17 days left in his term, President Biden announced the new recipients of an award he helped create when he was a U.S. senator. Established through the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, the Medal of Valor is given to public safety officers who disregard their personal safety to save or protect another human life.
Following are this year’s recipients, who will receive their medals at the White House on Friday:
Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert, and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle, and Zachary Plese, Nashville Police Department
On March 27, 2023, the officers ran toward the gunfire of an active shooter at a Nashville elementary school, where six people had already been killed. Even after the shooter fired at them, the officers entered the school to clear classroom after classroom before killing the assailant.
Sgt. Tu Tran, Lincoln Police Department
On Feb. 22, 2023, the sergeant jumped into a cold pond and swam more than 30 feet to save a woman from drowning in her vehicle. As her car was submerging, Tran opened the rear door, pulled the woman out and brought her on shore for medical treatment.
Lt. John Vanderstar, New York City Fire Department
On Oct. 23, 2022, the lieutenant ran into a burning apartment to a back bedroom, where a mother was suffocating and her child was lying on top of her. After dragging them both to the window for air, he raced out of the building with the child as firefighters battled the flames. The mother and child both survived.
Firefighter Brendan Gaffney, New York City Fire Department
On Feb. 5, 2023, the firefighter ran into a burning apartment building to save a pregnant woman and a child, both of whom were unconscious. Using a removed door as a shield, Gaffney carried the child from the building then ran into the fire again to save the woman.
