Charlotte County Public Safety Honors Outstanding Service at Annual Appreciation & Recognition Banquet
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (Aug. 17, 2026) – Charlotte County Public Safety celebrated extraordinary bravery, lifesaving actions and dedicated service during its annual Public Safety Appreciation & Recognition Banquet. The event honored personnel who exemplify the department’s mission of ensuring the health and safety of our community by delivering exceptional fire and EMS services.
Among the evening’s highest honors were Medals of Valor presented to four Charlotte County Fire & EMS members for their actions during the McGuire Fire on Nov. 13, 2025. Despite extreme conditions, crews entered the burning home and worked together to remove a trapped patient through a window, ultimately saving the patient’s life. Their decisive actions, coordinated teamwork and extraordinary courage exemplify the bravery recognized by the Medal of Valor, one of the highest honors a first responder can receive.
Medal of Valor
- FF/EMT Jacob Franklin
-
FM Mitchell Hardesty
- FF/EMT Gavin Morgan
- FF/EMT Benjamin Hahn-Vazquez
Firefighter of the Year
Firefighter-EMT of the Year
Paramedic of the Year
Officer of the Year
CARES Award
Keystone Award
Pawsitive Impact Award
Stork Awards – Presented to personnel who played a role in the successful delivery of a baby before arriving at the hospital:
- Tavi Cooley
- Austin Driggs
Phoenix Awards – Presented to those who played a role in the successful resuscitation and recovery of a cardiac arrest patient:
Fabio Acosta, Lonjino Aguirre, Ryan Atwood, Lt. Onelio Baez, Jerel Betancourt, Nathan Boyette, Lt. Beau Brown, Juan Carlos Cadenas, Zachary Cain, Ludgeor Cameus, Marshall Campbell, Lt. Michael Connor, Corey Davis, Cole Devore, Michael Downs, Steven Dunn, Brian Fraley, Lt. Lee Folkers, Lenar Gabdrakhmanov, Carter Germonprez, Larry Golden, Benjamin Hahn-Vazquez, Joshua Hammack, Lt. Joseph Harris, Juan Hernandez, Jacob Holland, Brayden Hollbrook, Brandon Hurley, Raul Ignacio, Breanna Jacobs, Lt. Jon Jensen, Alexander Jimenez, Brett Johnson, Michael Keeney, Kevin Knipe, Lt. Darren Lamb, Lt. Kelly Lechleidner, Dennis Locker, Maksim Martinson, Logan Massie, Leighton McManus, Lt. Michael McNeeley, Scott Miller, Max Minucci, Andrew Pekar, Kevin Perez, Gavin Planas, Luis Ramos Mancera, Lt. Andrew Robinson, Roselyn Romaguera, Gloyd Stadel, Branden Stepp, Evan Sutta, Brandon Thornton, Caleb Van Helden, Lt. William Van Helden, Jordan Velazquez-Ridley, Andrew Verwey, Kyle Vulgamore, Carl Walker, Caleb Way, Blake Wightman and Lt. James Wilcox.
“These awards reflect the courage, compassion and commitment our personnel demonstrate every day,” said Public Safety Director/Fire Chief Matthew McElroy. “From acts of extraordinary bravery to lifesaving medical care and dedicated service behind the scenes, each honoree represents the very best of Charlotte County Public Safety and our commitment to serving the community.”
Charlotte County Public Safety extends its sincere appreciation to AdventHealth Port Charlotte, HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital, HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, TGH Aeromed and Bayflite/Air Methods for their generous support in making this year’s Appreciation & Recognition Banquet possible.
For information, contact Ashley Turner at 941-833-5610 or Ashley.Turner@CharlotteCountyFL.gov.
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