Washington, D.C. – On February 14, Attorney General John Ashcroft, joined by Vice President Cheney, recognized the extraordinary achievements of ten individuals who received the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor in a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The event marked the first presentation of the Medal, which is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer. The awards are in honor of outstanding heroic deeds these officers performed above and beyond the call of duty.
“With the presentation of this Medal, our nation recognizes the sacrifices and dedicated service of our public safety officers,” said Attorney General Ashcroft. “They truly are our national heroes, and it is my privilege to recognize their tremendous courage, dedication to duty, and selfless commitment to their fellow citizens.”
The recipients of the 2002 Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor are: Eric Svihovec of Miller Place, NY; Keith N. Borders of Las Vegas, NV; Robert Borer, Jeremy Hosek, Guy Jones, Ron Kennett, Rick Klein, and Mike Wright, all of Lincoln, NE; Robert Giorgio of Cherry Hill, NJ; and Sean VanAtter of Tampa, FL.
Eric Svihovec, a volunteer firefighter with Miller Place (NY) Fire Department was in a shop when he saw the taillights of a car disappear off a boat ramp into the water during a storm. Winds were in excess of 30 miles per hour and heavy downpour had reduced visibility to almost nothing. Eric jumped into Mount Sinai Harbor, and found a young mother and her 21/2-month-old daughter in the car. With the car already partially submerged, Svihovec rescued the mother and got her safely to the ramp. Svihovec returned to the car, which was still sinking. Diving underwater, and after three attempts, Eric Svihovec freed the baby from her car seat and brought her safely to the surface.
The Medal, authorized by the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, is awarded to public safety officers cited by the Attorney General. Public safety officers are nominated by the chiefs or directors of their agencies and recommended by 11-member Medal of Valor Review Board.
Additional information about the award, including synopses of the acts of valor, design and image of the Medal of Valor and the application form can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/medalofvalor”.