Hagerstown Honors Public Safety Heroes at Annual Awards Ceremony

The Washington County Chamber of Commerce is set to recognize distinguished individuals and teams for their exceptional bravery and service at the 10th Annual Public Safety Awards breakfast ceremony. The event will celebrate first responders and volunteers across fire services, law enforcement, emergency medical services, telecommunications, and support roles, acknowledging their dedication to protecting the lives and property of Washington County residents.

This year’s awards will feature various levels of the Medal of Valor, including Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The Gold Medal of Valor is reserved for acts of extreme bravery involving significant personal risk, potentially resulting in injury or death. The Silver Medal of Valor recognizes acts of bravery with great personal risk beyond normal duty, while the Bronze Medal of Valor acknowledges bravery involving unusual personal risk, exceptional judgment, or ingenuity. Additionally, the Hero Award will be presented to individuals or teams who have saved or attempted to save a human life through swift action and medical expertise. The Unit Achievement Award will honor teams or units demonstrating extraordinary performance, and the Telecommunications Award will recognize outstanding contributions to emergency service delivery by dispatchers. Further accolades include the Distinguished Service Award for exceptional performance and accomplishments, the Community Service Award for efforts that improve community well-being, the Volunteer Achievement Award for exemplary volunteer dedication, and the Lifetime Achievement Award for a career marked by leadership and exceptional work ethic.

Among the recipients of the Gold Medal of Valor are Officer Langley Dean and Officer Richard Dean of the Hagerstown Police Department. They are being recognized for their actions during a domestic violence call in June 2025, where they faced extreme personal risk, leading to Officer Langley Dean sustaining a gunshot wound to the arm.

Several individuals will receive the Silver Medal of Valor. Sergeants Eric Knode and Mark Morris, along with Officers Scott Huff, Spencer Nigh, and Christopher Woody of the Hagerstown Police Department, are being honored for their courageous rescue of an occupant from a burning building in October 2025, an act that required them to be hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Officers Scott Huff and Jacob Mull of the Hagerstown Police Department will also receive the Silver Medal of Valor for apprehending an armed suspect during a warrant execution in Wheaton Park in April 2025. A significant rescue operation during a flash flood in May 2025 will be recognized with the Silver Medal of Valor awarded to Chief Jacob Altman, 2nd Lieutenant Keith Cooper, Fire Apparatus Operator Scott Adams, Firefighter/Fire Apparatus Operator Ben Hoopengardner, Firefighter II – Tech Clay Shealy, Firefighter/Fire Apparatus Operator Kyle Lewis, Lieutenant – Field Operations Chris Fraley, Coordinator – Volunteer Services Oley Griffith, and 1st Lieutenant Zachary Schmidt. Their combined efforts led to the successful rescue and evacuation of 22 residents, including children.

The Bronze Medal of Valor will be presented to several individuals for acts of bravery and exceptional service. Sergeants Spencer Shank and Mikhael Weaver, Master Deputies Gerardo Cerda and Philip Schnurr, and Deputies First Class Brett Colvin, Brandon Dillman, and Nikolas McKoy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office are being recognized for their safe resolution of a barricade situation in November 2025, which involved projectiles being thrown from an attic and the deployment of a chemical irritant. Officers Amanda Boyle and Joshua Ward of the Hagerstown Police Department will receive the Bronze Medal of Valor for their actions in March 2025, safely taking into custody a large, aggressive individual who had placed an officer in a headlock. Paramedic Rhea Dennis and Technician Rowen Phelps of Community Rescue Service are honored with the Bronze Medal of Valor for their critical medical response to Officer Langley Dean’s gunshot wound in June 2025, while simultaneously managing the ongoing threat and ensuring the safety of the domestic violence victim and her children who were present in the ambulance. Deputy James Hines and Deputy First Class Sara Sutton of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office will receive the Bronze Medal of Valor for apprehending an armed convicted felon during a traffic stop in November 2025. Master Deputy Roy Roberts of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office is recognized with the Bronze Medal of Valor for his successful arrest of an armed suspect who was aiming a handgun at an occupied apartment in October 2025. Firefighter/Fire Apparatus Operator Robert Gordon of Washington County Division of Emergency Services will receive the Bronze Medal of Valor for his critical action in July 2025, removing a crew member who had become unresponsive during live burn training.

Several individuals are being recognized with the Hero Award. Officer Thomas Wolfe of the Hagerstown Police Department is honored for his swift action in retrieving a vital medical device for a critical patient in 2025. Firefighter/Fire Apparatus Operator Mike Reid of Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company will receive the Hero Award for initiating CPR on a non-breathing infant in November 2025. Captain Justin Ruppenthal of Community Rescue Service is being recognized for two life-saving responses in June 2025: one to a traumatic amputation resulting from a motorcycle accident and another to assist a drowning victim by clearing their airway. Fire Apparatus Operators Tyler Rotelle and Zachary Schmidt of the Hagerstown Fire Department will receive the Hero Award for their rapid response to an unassigned cardiac arrest in March 2025. Paramedic Chuck Smith of the Washington County Division of Emergency Services is honored with the Hero Award for his off-duty life-saving response to a severe head trauma patient in 2025.

The Unit Achievement Award will be presented to multiple units for exceptional performance. The Hagerstown Police Department’s Charlie Shift, Criminal Investigations Unit, Drone Operations Team, and Crisis Negotiators, along with the Washington County Special Response Team and Washington County Sheriff’s Office Hostage Negotiation Team, and Maryland State Police Crisis Negotiator Master Trooper William Talbert are recognized for their coordinated response to the shooting of Officer Langley Dean in June 2025. Auxiliary Captain Mike Pannill and his team from the Hagerstown Police Department Auxiliary Police Unit will receive the award for their extensive volunteer service, responding to 1,089 calls and contributing 4,152 volunteer hours in 2025. Squad 2 from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office is honored for their teamwork in apprehending a suspect involved in a road rage incident involving gunfire from a commercial tractor trailer in September 2025. Engine 1, Battalion 3, Engine 4 & Truck 4 of the Hagerstown Fire Department will receive the award for their coordinated efforts in preserving life and property during a high-rise apartment fire in October 2025. Washington County Emergency Communications 9-1-1 BAKER Shift is recognized for their exceptional response to 995 calls in a single hour during a storm system in April 2025, ensuring efficient responder routing. Community Volunteer Fire Company of District 12 and the Washington County Division of Emergency Services will be honored for their seamless work in freeing a victim trapped by a fallen tree in July 2025. Williamsport Volunteer Fire Company & EMS and the Washington County Division of Emergency Services will receive the award for their teamwork in rescuing a trapped victim from a burning building and extinguishing the fire in April 2025.

In telecommunications, Emergency Dispatcher III Diane Rosenthal of Maryland State Police Emergency Dispatch will receive the Telecommunications Award for her exceptional dedication, including training new dispatchers, making critical decisions in a demanding environment, and her role in METERS certifications.

The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Master Deputy Joseph McCoy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for his sustained excellence, proactive policing, leadership, and significant impact on regional crime through drug interdiction in 2025. Trooper First Class Travis Capezuto of the Maryland State Police will also receive this award for his demonstrated excellence in traffic enforcement, DUI arrests, and consistent commitment to community safety in 2025.

The Community Service Award will be given to the Hagerstown Police Department’s School Resource Officers (SRO) Unit for their dedication to youth engagement through the Junior Police Academy, fostering trust and leadership. Corporal Scott Ciccarelli of the Maryland State Police will receive this award for his leadership in community outreach initiatives, including “Shop with a Cop” and “Trunk or Treat,” as well as his mentoring efforts and promotion of positive youth engagement in 2025.

For outstanding volunteer contributions, Assistant Chief James R. McConnell Jr. will receive the Volunteer Achievement Award for his commitment to mentoring, equipment maintenance, and reliable emergency response for Washington County Emergency Support Services. Vice President Darryl Benner of Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Company will be recognized with the Volunteer Achievement Award for 50 years of service, advancing regional public safety, mentoring, and strengthening the community.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Officer James Robison of the Hagerstown Police Department for his distinguished 30-year career, marked by leadership, continued contributions post-retirement, mentorship, and a lasting impact on the department and community.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 4th, 2026, at 7:00 am at the Community Volunteer Fire Co. of District 12’s Banquet Facility, located at 18002 Tilghmanton Road, Fairplay, MD 21733. Registration information is available on the Chamber Events Calendar at Hagerstown.org. The Washington County Chamber of Commerce expressed gratitude to the event’s sponsors: Antietam Broadband, Atlantic Emergency Solutions, Keystone Public Safety, Douglas A. Fiery Funeral Home, Hagerstown Magazine, Streamline IT Solutions, AC&T, and Complete Document Solutions.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

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