Fourteen police officers, firefighrters, and paramedics were awarded the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor yesterday by Vice President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder. Public safety officers are nominated by the chiefs or directors of their agencies and recommended by a Medal of Valor Review Board. A total of 55 medals have been presented since the first recipients were honored in 2003.
Honored yesterday were Deputy Carl A. Beier, Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County, Mo.; Chief Randy D. Poindexter, Fire Department, Kingfisher, Ok., Lt. Brian S. Sturgill, Oklahoma Highway Patrol; Detective Jared T. Reston, Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville, Fl.; Officer Pedro Garcia, III, Police Department, San Antonio, Tx.; Capt. Edwin Lynn O'Berry, Fire/Rescue, Palm Beach County, Fl.; Officer Vidal Alberto Colon, Police Department, Milwaukee; Fire Lieutenant William Ervin Appel, Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Charles Neff, Firefighter/Paramedic Michael Scott Chellis, and Firefighter/EMT Timothy Allen Wisely, Fire Department, City of Maplewood, Mo.; and Lt. Paul R. Pender, Jr., Acting Lt. Gerald J. Murphy and Firefighter Frederick C. Johnston, Brookline, Ma.