DOJ Accepting Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Nominations
The nomination period for 2010-2011 began May 31 and will close July 31. This is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer.
Nominations are now being accepted by the U.S. Department of Justice for 2010-2011 Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor awards. The nomination period began May 31 and will end July 31. This is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer, with the medals awarded annually by the president or vice president. Congress passed a bill in 2001 to create the award.
A "public safety officer" is defined for purposes of this program as a person (living or dead) who is serving or has served in a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter; law enforcement officer, including a corrections, court, or civil defense officer; or emergency services officer, as determined by the U.S. attorney general.
An act of valor is defined as above and beyond the call of duty and exhibiting:
- exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness, and presence of mind
- unusual swiftness of action, regardless of his or her personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect human life
The most recent group of awardees includes several law enforcement officers and firefighters. To be eligible, officers must be nominated by the chief executive officer of their employing agency, recommended by the bipartisan Medal of Valor Review Board, and cited by the Attorney General. Nominations must be submitted online using a system and form available at this website.