"Your sacrifice to our nation is inspiring," said Deputy Attorney General Comey. "You have proven your commitment to keeping our citizens safe by willingly risking your own safety and lives. This is the ultimate act of patriotism," he said. Prior to this afternoon's ceremony at the Justice Department, President Bush met with the Medal of Valor recipients at the White House.
The recipients of the 2003-2004 Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor are: James Ahern of Boston, MA; John Ahern of Boston, MA; Kevin Fitzhenry of Bayonne, NJ; Michael Muniz of San Antonio, TX; Barry J. Ralston of Amarillo, TX; and Marcus Young of Ukiah, CA. A description of the acts of valor is attached.
The Medal, authorized by the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, is awarded by the President to public safety officers cited by the Attorney General. Public safety officers are nominated by the chiefs or directors of their employing agencies and recommended by the Medal of Valor Review Board. More information about the Board members can be found on www.ojp.usdoj.gov.
Additional information about the award, including the design and image of the Medal of Valor and the application form can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/medalofvalor/.
Media should contact the Office of Justice Programs=, Office of Communications at 202-307-0703.
James Ahern and John Ahern, Paramedics, Boston Emergency Medical Services, Boston, Massachusetts. Paramedic Unit 3 medics, James *Jim* Ahern and his nephew John *Jack* Ahern, responded to an emergency report of a man underneath a subway train at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. James and John Ahern arrived and found a male, still alive, with his torso and lower extremities entrapped in the undercarriage of the train that struck him. Authorities ordered all persons out of the pit because of the unstable position of the train, fearing that it would shift as it was lifted off the track bed, potentially crushing anyone who remained in the pit. The additional complication of intubating the victim to control his respiration was handled manually by James Ahern who positioned himself in front of the victim, ventilating him and shielding him from the train. As the train was lifted, it shifted toward John Ahern and the victim. Once the train was lifted off the track bed, John Ahern crawled back under the train and assisted James Ahern in extricating the victim.Kevin Fitzhenry, Firefighter, Bayonne Fire Department, Bayonne, New Jersey. Firefighter Fitzhenry was dispatched to a residence on fire. When he approached the scene, he was told that a woman was trapped on the second floor and, because of the intense heat, could not be reached through the stairwell. Fitzhenry grabbed a ladder off the truck and threw it against the building, reaching a closed window. He pushed in the window and crawled through the intense heat and heavy smoke to enter the room, putting himself in the direct path of the advancing fire to locate the victim. After finding the victim unconscious, he dragged her to the open window and lowered her out. Due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions, Fitzhenry dove out of the window to safety. He rejoined his crew and continued to combat the fire. Fitzhenry suffered second degree burns.
