Community Corner

Live Blog: 26th Annual Valor Awards

The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce honors 72 emergency responders, police and local citizens who went beyond the call of duty.

Update, 1:53 p.m.: Finally, LPD Capt. Clagett Moxley, Jr., Detective Doug Shaw, Detective Matthew Hackney, Detective Jesse Zappia, Investigator Tim Ortwein of the LCSO, Special Agent Gerhard Vienna of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, who worked together in the case of a serial killer who was at work in Leesburg. Their work helped to end his violence spree in Loudoun County and Flint, Michigan.

This group was honored with a unit citation for their work in cracking this case, in which three local residents were assaulted by the alleged serial killer.

Update, 1:48 p.m.: Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Earl Hausling received a life-saving award for aiding in the rescue of a person in cardiac arrest on Feb. 16.

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DFC Randall Broaddus and Deputy Christopher Salter of the LCSO were honored with a meritorious action award for responding to a vehicle that had crashed into a pond near Round Hill, with its driver still inside.

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They freed the driver after several free dives,  disregarding their own safety due to lack of equipment and the cold temperature.

The driver eventually succumbed to her injuries, but both deputies were honored for their quick thinking and determination to save the victim.

 

Life saving awards were received by members of the Purcellville Police Department and Purcellville Volunteer Fire and Rescue for the rescue of an elderly man with a long history of medical problems, who had collapsed in his kitchen.

 

Deputy Chief James Cook, Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, Master Firefighter Anthony Jackson and LPD Officer Dale Depoy were honored with a life saving award for responding to a man who had fallen off a bar stool, hit his head, and was lying without a pulse in a Leesburg bar. Alcohol and illicit drugs were a factor, but their quick thinking stabilized his condition, and he later made a full recovery in a local hospital.

 

Detective J. T. Carney of the Fairfax County Police, was honored with a life saving award for responding to an Aug. 17 incident in which a vehicle had crashed and thrown the 20-year-old driver, an Army Ranger at home on leave from Afghanistan, 25 feet.

Carney’s rapid response decreased the amount of time that the victim’s brain was without oxygen, which has sped his recovery time. The victim was able to spend Christmas with his family.

 

Master Police Officer Rick Costello of the Purcellville Police Department, for a cituation involving a Purcellville resident who was trying to save the life of her husband in CPR. Costello arrived and aided in CPR. Costello had just completed CPR training the day before. He received a life saving award.

 

A Unit Citation was given to members of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue for their efforts to save a person trapped in a vehicle after a storm felled a tree onto it.

Power lines were down, and both lanes of James Monroe Highway were impassible.

Dominion Power had a lengthy response time because of high call volume and traffic on the road.

Using “extreme care and situational awareness,” fire fighters were able to safely remove the tree from the car and rescue the patient, who was flown to a nearby trauma center, once power had been cut off to the downed lines.

 

Jan Edmonson, a local citizen, was honored for rescuing her friend from a local lake after a raft overturned. Edmonson is a certified life guard, registered nurse, and excellent swimmer, and she received a citizen award for her actions.

 

Christopher Steele and Freddie Nevitt, received a citizens awards for their rescue of a woman from a burning car after a multiple car accident. Steel received minor burns, but Nevitt and the woman were hospitalized for injuries and still are recovering to this day.

 

Matthew Ashley, a 13-year-old from Purcellville, was honored with a citizens award for his recue of his friend CJ after a long day of fishing in a local pond.

CJ lost his balance, and fell 8 feet into the water, striking the crown of his head on a rock and losing consciousness. Matthew dragged him out of the water and called 911 and with the help of an unknown bicyclist, stabilized him until responders arrived to airlift him to Fairfax County Hospital.

 

A life saving award and citizens award was used to LPD Sgt. Thomas Moore, Officer Mirza Kadric, Capt. Danielle Frye of LCFMO and local resident Anne McCaffrey, who worked together to save her husband Terry McCaffrey after her suffered a massive coronary while driving home from church on Jan. 31, 2010.

Anne McCaffrey was especially honored for her quick thinking in seizing control of the car after her husand suffered the coronary, and guiding the out-of-control vehicle to safety.

Update, 1:19 p.m.: The first people honored were Officer David Her and Cpl. Patrick Suder, members of the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority police, were honored with a life-saving award for performing emergency first aid on an unconscious airport employ in July of last year.

 

Officer Leha Green, Chief Wagner Grier of the Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad and Master Firefighter George Delilian were honored with a life-saving award for a February 2010 incident in which they saved the life of a 70-year-old man who had suffered cardiac arrest while driving in Leesburg. Green responded first, and Grier and Delilian, who were both off-duty, stabilized the man’s condition until a rescue squad arrived.

 

A unit citation award was presented to the Purcellville Fire Department for responding to help a child suffering high fever and abnormal breathing during the on Feb.6 2010, during last year’s blizzard. They saved the child while battling extreme weather conditions which often involved them walking seven-tenths of a mile through the snow to get to the home.

 

Another unit citation was awarded to fire and rescue personnel from Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, Purcellville Volunteer Fire Department and Round Hill Volunteer Fire and Rescue for an incident on the same day, in which a 66-year old woman with a history of heart condition had suffered chest pains after shoveling snow.

They battled the extreme conditions, and were able to get her to a rescue squad, and she was taken to Cornwall Hospital.

 

Two Leesburg Police Department Officers, Robert Hall and Justin Wilt, received a unit citation award. They were dispatched to a home on Feb. 7, 2010, with 34 inches of snow blanketing local roads, to respond to an 18-year-old woman possibly suffering from a lithium overdose and consumption of Ajax cleaner.

They carried her 425 feet through the snow to a rescue squad, and she was taken to Cornwall Hospital.

 

Members of the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Department and Loudoun County Fire and Rescue were honored for another rescue during “Snowmageddon.”

On Feb. 10, four days into the blizzard, they rescued four generations of a family were trapped in a home south of Purcellville.

Update. 1:02 p.m.: The ceremony began with remarks from sponsors.

Kelley said this group of men and women are vital to the quality of life in Loudoun.

“It takes many different people with many different skills to create the quality of life we enjoy,” he said.

 Tony Howard, chairman of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, said that the men and women to be honored today — the largest and most diverse group of honorees in the history of the Valor Awards — have face stressful, dangerous situations and found composure in themselves to do the right thing.

 “These men and women … are the reasons why the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce is so proud to present these awards,” Howard said.

 John Marshall Bank also presented a check to the Valor Foundation for its scholarship programs for the family members of those honored.

12:31 p.m. : The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce will be honoring 72 local heroes today at the National Conference Center in Lansdowne, and Patch will be here to cover it.

The festivities are beginning, but you can follow along at home.

Randy Kelley, CEO of Loudoun Inova Hospital, is the chairman of this year’s awards introduced Kaitlyn Maher, a 7-year-old Ashburn resident who has already achieved a measure of fame as the youngest finalist on “America’s Got Talent” when she was only 4.

Kaitlyn has also starred in some films for Disney, and favored the audience with her rendition of “America the Beautiful.” She sang “God Bless America” at last year’s Valor Awards.

 A list of recipients is available here.


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