Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage
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2024 Event
Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage 2024 
Date: Monday, October 14th, 2024
Time: 5:00 pm
Location: Billera Hall, DeSales University
2755 Station Ave
Center Valley, PA 18034
Honoring individuals and groups in Eastern PA who performed exceptionally courageous acts to save someone from death or serious injury from any fire source. Honorees include both civilians and first responders. The Burn Prevention Network invites you to the Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage Award Celebration.
Battalion Chief John Salka (ret.) will be speaking at this year’s event. Salka is a 40 plus year veteran of the Fire Service. He served FDNY for over 33 years, the last 15 years as battalion chief in the 18th battalion in the Bronx. Chief Salka received the FDIC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. He was presented and lectured at FDIC International where he received the 2001 FDIC Training Achievement Award for his “Get Out Alive” firefighter survival training program. He is a New York certified fire instructor and lectures internationally.
He served as the co-lead instructor for the H.O.T. Firefighter Safety and Survival Program at FDIC for over 10 years and is the co-host for the podcasts “The Command Post,” heard on Fire Engineering Magazine’s website, and “Old School: Searching Above the Fire” heard on Apple Podcasts.
He is the author of the best-selling books First In-Last Out: Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department, The Engine Company, and co-author of Five Alarm Leadership: From Firehouse to Fireground, published by Fire Engineering Books & Videos. He has served as a volunteer firefighter his entire career.
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2024 Awardees2024 Awardees
Spirit of Courage Awards
Shenandoah Heights, Schuylkill County – 12/22/23
Officer Mark Hysock
Hatboro, Fairview Ave – 11/23/2023
Officer Robert McMahon, Sergeant Aaron Simon
Upper Hanover, Big Road – 1/17/2024
Bret Marks
Wilkes-Barre – Northampton St – 2/15/2024
FF/EMT Richard Machey, Jr; Captain Eric Anderson; FF/EMT Ralph Graham
Emmaus – Cold Stream Cir – 6/24/2023
FF/EMT Richard Machey, Jr; Captain Eric Anderson; FF/EMT Ralph Graham
Walter J Okunski Phoenix Award
Officer Timothy Kline
Prevention Partner Award
Chief John Bast
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2023 Event2023 Event
Thank you to everyone who attended or watched the livestream of this year’s event. We look forward to seeing you next year.
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2023 Awardees2023 Awardees
Spirit of Courage Awards
Reading, Marion Street – 10/15/2022
Firefighter/EMT Garry Clarke & Firefighter/EMT Joshua Green
Reading, Schuylkill Avenue – 10/29/2022
Firefighter/EMT Kevin Ayers, Firefighter/EMT Kieran Dolan, & Firefighter/EMT Ronald Frey
Scranton, Hickory Street – 11/20/2022
Firefig hter Nick Azzarelli, Firefighter Lieutenant Joseph Chesek, Firefighter Kyle Saldonis & Firefighter Captain Matthew McDonald
Pottsville, Arch Street – 5/9/2023
Police Officer Michael Hrebik
Palmer Township, Main Street – 5/21/2022
Deputy Fire Chief Jim Alercia, Fire Battalion Chief Ken Sobieski, Police Officer John Billiard, Police Officer Evan Goldstein, Police Officer Kyle Kromer, Police Officer Maurice Burton, Emergency Medical Technician, Christopher Finan, Jr., Paramedic Jeremy Slack, & Dr. Thomas W. Stauffer, DO
West Penn Township, Clamtown Road – 12/7/2022
Assistant Fire Chief Zachary T.A. Paris (Posthumous)
Firefighter Marvin Gruber (Posthumous)
Walter J Okunski Phoenix Award
Leah John
Eleos Award
Jennifer Nagle, RN (Posthumous)
Prevention Partner Award
Fire Chief James Misstishin, Sr.
Chairman’s Award
West Reading, R.M. Palmer Explosion – 3/24/2023
All First Responders involved in incident