Local First Responders to Be Honored for Heroism at August Awards Breakfast in Washington County

A broad range of Washington County’s emergency personnel—police officers, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, and volunteers—will be honored for exceptional service during the 9th Annual Public Safety Awards ceremony this August. The awards presentation will be held as part of a breakfast event hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at the Community Volunteer Fire Company of District 12 in Fairplay. The ceremony will recognize dozens of local individuals and units whose actions in 2024 exemplified bravery, skill, and dedication.

Gold Medal of Valor recipients include Trooper First Class Zachary O’Neal of the Maryland State Police; Sergeant Vance Almy; Master Deputies Jason Litten, Jasen Logsdon, Joseph McCoy, and Philip Schnurr; and Deputy Ashley Wilbraham of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for separate suicide preventions. Deputy Aaron Garvin also receives a Gold Medal of Valor for saving a fellow officer from a knife-wielding suspect.

Silver Medals of Valor will go to Officer Tim Cramer (Hagerstown Police Department) for intervening in a stabbing in progress, and Officers Andrew Kelbaugh and Jacob Mull (Hagerstown Police Department) for subduing an armed suspect with an active warrant. Bronze Medals of Valor will be awarded to Officer Scott Huff (Hagerstown Police Department) for arresting an armed suspect with narcotics and Fire Apparatus Operator Brian Snyder (Hagerstown Fire Department) for rescuing a woman from a burning residence.

The Hero Award will be presented to Officer Bethani Basta and Officer Langley Dean (Hagerstown Police Department) for lifesaving actions during violent assaults; Fire Apparatus Operator Jacob Altman and Firefighter Adam Semler (Hagerstown Fire Department); Lieutenant Scott Adams (Longmeadow Volunteer Fire Company) for a fire rescue; Assistant Chief Sara Gismondi (Potomac Valley Volunteer Fire Company) and Fire Apparatus Operator Jackie Moser (Washington County Division of Emergency Services) for a water rescue; Firefighters Matthew Munson, Bradley Taylor, and Daniel Taylor (Maugansville Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company) for a trailer fire rescue; and Paramedics Travis Routzahn and Baileigh Phelps (Community Rescue Service) for a pediatric cardiac arrest response.

Unit Achievement Awards will go to Sergeant William Mills, Master Deputies Michael Carbaugh, Robert Harris, James Lewis, and Danny Taylor (Washington County Sheriff’s Office Transport Unit); Washington County Emergency Support Services Station 25 Air & Rehab Units; Maugansville Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company Rescue Squad 13 including Lieutenant Bradley Taylor, Firefighters Tommy Palmer, Hunter Clark, Robbie Resh, Robert Neat, Exequais Lemus, Brandon Frazier, Jack Blair, Chief Mark Miller, Chaplain Genny Resh, and Utility-13’s Firefighter Jeff Early; Captain Justin Ruppenthal, Paramedic Abraham Jefferson, and EMT Zachariah Graybill (Community Rescue Service); Captain John Murray and Fire Apparatus Operator Richard Bolinsky (Hagerstown Fire Department Engine 4); Fire Apparatus Operator Joel Oyler (Hagerstown Fire Department Truck 4); Fire Apparatus Operator Terry Martin, and Firefighters Abdellah Rasalane and Connor Bratburd (Longmeadow Volunteer Fire Company Rescue Engine 27-2); and Lieutenant Robert Follin and Paramedics Kamarya Chojnacki and Kevin Demmons (Community Rescue Service), along with Fire Apparatus Operators Travis Barkdoll and Shawn Wieczorek (Hagerstown Fire Department).

Telecommunications Award recipients include Emergency Communications Specialist Shirley Weaver (Washington County Division of Emergency Communication 9-1-1) for managing a chaotic emergency call involving a stabbing and gunshots, and Emergency Dispatcher II Lashonda Wilson (Maryland State Police) for recruitment efforts, radio traffic handling, and system documentation.

Distinguished Service Awards will be presented to Sergeant Adam Matthai (Maryland State Police) for leadership, youth outreach, and disaster response work, and 1st Vice President G. Dale Fishack Jr. (Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association) for long-standing service and advocacy in Fire/EMS.

Boonsboro Ambulance & Rescue Service members Dennis Rudden, Mel Rowland, Steve Mohl, Josh Mohl, Melinda Heady, NP, and Bradley Kauffman will receive the Community Service Award for public training in emergency medical response programs.

The Volunteer Achievement Award will honor Chief Priscilla Morgan (Sharpsburg EMS) for her leadership in resolving staffing issues and managing operations, and Chaplain Deborah Cohill (Hancock Volunteer Fire Company) for securing nearly $1 million in grants for local emergency organizations.

Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Gary S. David (Washington County Emergency Support Services) for over 50 years of public service, and Chief Richard Miller (Hancock Police Department) for more than four decades of contributions across public safety sectors in Washington and Franklin Counties.

More information about the breakfast can be found on the Chamber website.

Article by multiple contributors, based upon information from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce press release.

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