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Alexandria’s First Responders’ Valor Award Winners of 2023

Alexandria, VA – On June 1, the Chamber ALX once again honored our community’s outstanding first responders for their courageous, life-saving actions in the past year with the 2023 Valor Awards. Each year, the Valor Awards recognize the courageous people who were there when they were most needed.

The awards ceremony was presented by Inova Alexandria Hospital and held at the National Industries for the Blind (3000 Potomac Avenue, Alexandria).

Incident One

Life-Saving Award

Public Safety Communications Officer Autumn Harding

Public Safety Communications Officer Autumn Harding

Officer Harding provided telephone assistance through the birth of a newborn. Once she requested an EMS response, she guided a set of parents through the sudden at-home delivery of a baby. Within four minutes of the call, the baby had arrived and was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Incident Two

Life-Saving Awards

Officer Lemar Gardizi

Officer Lemar Gardizi

Officer Daniel Zapata

Officer Daniel Zapata

Officers Gardizi and Zapata responded to an incident where a victim suffered from a gunshot wound. Both officers rendered life-saving medical aid, which hospital staff reported could have been fatal within 5 minutes, had the officers not responded as quickly and effectively as they did.

Incident Three

Silver Medals

Officer Adam Bing

Officer Adam Bing

Officer Phillip Morse

Officer Phillip Morse

Officer Robert Honaker

Officer Robert Honaker

Fairfax County Master Police Officer Kevin Gemmell and Fairfax County K9 Ajax

Fairfax County Master Police Officer Kevin Gemmell

Fairfax County K9 Ajax

These four officers and canine reported to a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, the search for the armed suspect covered multiple residential and commercial buildings. Before isolating the suspect, they discovered additional victims. They were then able to locate and apprehend the subject and rescue a family of hostages.

Incident Four

Life-Saving Awards

Captain Jeffrey Taylor

Captain Jeffrey Taylor

Lieutenant Jason Sharpe

Lieutenant Jason Sharpe

Firefighter Antonio Tizol

Firefighter Antonio Tizol

Firefighter Joseph White

Firefighter Joseph White

Units reported to a fire alarm activation in a residential building. Upon arrival, they recognized an individual experiencing a medical crisis who, on further inspection, was holding an infant to their chest. Noticing the child was in imminent danger, responders rescued the infant and provided medical assistance while teams worked to remove smoke from the five-story building.

Incident Five

Life-Saving Awards

Master Deputy Hafsa Munir

Master Deputy Hafsa Munir

Sergeant Brian Wade

Sergeant Brian Wade

Master Deputy Munir and Sergeant Wade responded to a medical emergency that resulted in the rescue of an Adult Detention Center inmate.

Incident Six

Life-Saving Award

Captain Dave Cutting

Captain Dave Cutting

Deputy Joseph Walker

Deputy Joseph Walker

Sergeant Victor Ignacio

Sergeant Victor Ignacio

These deputies noticed unusual text responses from one of their fellow deputies. They recognized their team member was in distress and in need of intervention. Relying on crisis negotiation skills and emergency communication location services, they could speak with the employee, discourage self-harm, and facilitate a rescue.

Lutheran Social Services of National Capital Area

Community Valor Award

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area receives this award in recognition of its exemplary efforts to resettle asylum seekers, provide health support to victims of human trafficking, and host legal workshops. The impact of the newly established Resource Center in helping families across the region cannot be understated. Families use this center as a source of goods, community, and programming as they lay roots throughout the region.

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