Last year, for the first time, Governor Mike Parson conferred Missouri’s Red, White and Blue Heart Award on first responders seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. The first Red, White and Blue Heart Award honorees were Independence Police Officer Blaize A. Madrid-Evans, St. Louis County Police Detective Antonio A. Valentine, Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Bryant E.  Gladney, Springfield-Greene County Park Board Ranger Robert C. Bridges and Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Colton J. Beck. Officer Madrid-Evans, Detective Valentine and Assistant Chief Gladney were killed in the line of duty and their honors were awarded posthumously.

Nominations are now open for the Red, White and Blue Heart Award for heroic actions performed in 2022, along with the other Missouri Public Safety awards – the Missouri Medal of Valor, Governor’s Medal, and Public Safety Civilian Partnership Award. The awards will be presented by Governor Parson during a ceremony in Jefferson City in late 2023.

The deadline to nominate a member of your agency for any of the Public Safety Medals for actions performed in 2022 is Feb. 28, 2023. Nominations must come from the head of the public safety agency. Nomination forms and additional information about the awards, including who is eligible to make a nomination, is available at: http://dps.mo.gov/medal/. There is a different nomination form for each award.

For the purposes of these awards, a public safety officer is defined as a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or emergency personnel or emergency management personnel. The term "law enforcement officer" includes a person who is a state or local corrections or court officer. EMS personnel are eligible.

Here are descriptions of the awards:  

• The Red, White and Blue Heart Award may be presented to any Missouri peace officer, firefighter, paramedic, EMT or emergency first responder who under honorable circumstances is critically, seriously or fatally injured while performing official duties in the line of duty. It is conferred in recognition of first responders seriously injured and sustaining permanent impairment of health or death. The injury or condition must require long-term treatment by a medical professional and considerable loss of time from duty. In a fatality incident, the award will be presented to a family member.
•  The Missouri Medal of Valor recognizes heroic service by first responders in an effort to save a life. The Medal of Valor is Missouri’s highest award for public safety officers and is awarded to those who exhibit exceptional courage, decisiveness and swift action without regard for their own safety in their attempt to save a life. Law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, state and local corrections officers, court officers and emergency management personnel are eligible.
• The Governor’s Medal recognizes extraordinary actions by an organized or ad hoc team of first responders for 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. Law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, state and local corrections officers, court officers and emergency management personnel are eligible.
• The Public Safety Civilian Partnership Award honors a civilian who has provided valuable or courageous assistance to first responders in an emergency situation, without regard for their own personal welfare. It may also be bestowed on a civilian or team of civilians who train public safety officers in life-saving techniques which are later utilized to save a life.

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