Department of Public Safety News Release

The Department of Public Safety today announced it will award four new awards to Missouri public safety officers who provide exemplary service to the public along with a new award for civilians who come to the assistance of public safety officers and provide valuable assistance during emergency situations.

“Each day across our state, Missouri public safety officers are willing to selflessly sacrifice their own safety to serve and protect their fellow citizens,” Department of Public Safety Director Drew Juden said. “Every year, these brave men and women perform extraordinary, heroic acts that save lives, take violent criminals off the streets and make our Missouri communities safer and stronger places to live. These new awards will help ensure our remarkable public servants are honored and receive greater recognition for their actions. I also believe it’s vital that we establish a civilian award to honor extraordinary citizens who risk their own welfare to come to the aid of public safety officers.” 

Since 2008, Missouri’s Governor has awarded the Medal of Valor to public safety officers who exhibit exceptional courage, decisiveness and swift action without regard for their own safety in an attempt to save a life. The Medal of Valor remains the state’s highest award recognizing public safety officers.

The new Department of Public Safety awards announced today are:

• The Public Safety Medal of Merit. This medal honors an individual’s brave actions above and beyond the call of normal duty that play a critical role in successfully resolving a situation that endangers public safety.
• The Governor’s Medal. This medal honors an organized team of public safety officers’ brave actions above and beyond the call of normal duty during a critical situation in which their teamwork was essential to the successful resolution of the situation. 
• The Director’s Leadership Medal. This medal honors an individual at the command or staff level whose community activities have promoted greater safety, security, and cooperation for community members through programs, relationship-building, or collaboration. 
• The Public Safety Civilian Partnership Award. This award honors a civilian who provided valuable or courageous assistance to public safety officers in an emergency situation, without regard for their own personal welfare.
• The Hall of Fame Award. This award honors a senior or retired public safety professional whose distinguished career serves as a model of exceptional courage, service, fairness, and compassion, and whose devotion of talents, time, and resources has improved the safety and security of Missouri’s citizens. 

Nominations for the five new DPS awards along with the Medal of Valor are now open.

For the Medal of Valor, Public Safety Medal of Merit, Governor’s Medal and Public Safety Civilian Partnership Award, nominations are limited to acts performed from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2016. Nominations must be postmarked by May 26, 2017.

Director’s Leadership Medal nominations are limited to command or staff level officers whose recent community activities have promoted greater safety, security, and cooperation for community members through programs, relationship-building, or collaboration. 

Hall of Fame Award nominations are for works and actions accomplished over a career by a senior or retired public safety professional.

Nominations for any of the public safety awards must come from a public safety agency, or in the case of the Hall of Fame Award, from an agency, statewide association or organization, and in the case of the Director’s Leadership Medal, any nomination of a public safety agency’s chief executive must be from an elected or appointed leader of the local unit of government. For additional information about the awards and for nomination forms go to: http://dps.mo.gov/medal/.

For award purposes, public safety officers must be individuals who serve a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer or emergency or emergency management personnel, including EMTs and paramedics. State and local corrections and court officers are also eligible.

For more information, call 573-751-5432 or e-mail mike.oconnell@dps.mo.gov