Nassau County Fire Commission Award Application

Please read the instructions and criteria before starting the application. Click on the titles below to expand the section.

Below you will find both the Instructions for how to submit an award, and the descriptions of the Award Categories/Criteria. Instructions will also appear at the top of each page as you proceed through the various sections of the Application. An application may be submitted by any member, however, once received the Fire Commission member from the battalion of the submitting Department will contact the Chief to ensure that it is a valid submission. After confirmation from the Chief, the application is then sent to the Awards Committee for review. Once you complete the application, you should receive an email confirming that the application was received, if you do not receive a confirmation, you should assume that the application was not received.

Since their inception, the members of Nassau County's Fire and Rescue Departments have willingly responded to various emergencies. Each response placed their safety in jeopardy, while protecting the citizens and many visitors of Nassau County. Unfortunately fire fighters suffer injury, and some have made the Supreme Sacrifice.

In 1979 the Nassau County Fire Commission recognized that a tribute to these brave and courageous Fire Rescue personnel was long overdue, and the first Awards ceremony was held in April, 1982. A procedure was formulated by the Fire Commission enabling all county fire Chiefs to submit forms recognizing heroic deeds by the members of their departments. Also included in this format were procedures to recognize civilians who performed heroic acts of bravery. The Fire Commission Awards Committee reviews these applications and determines the degree of risk and the proper classification of the award to be given.

The reported incident must have taken place within the boundaries of Nassau County during the previous calendar year unless working with member's department on a mutual aid.

The Fire Commission feels these recipients should be given the highest recognition and esteem within the fire service of Nassau County. The Fire Commission also wants to make it very clear that every applicant is not guaranteed an award, and this does not necessarily mean all categories of awards will be given out on a yearly basis.

The Fire Commission award application is available online. Fire Chiefs may print a pdf of the application if additional copies are needed. Supporting documentation should be attached to the application. Awards for incidents occurring outside the applicant's district must be endorsed in writing by the Chief of department in the district of occurrence.

If a Fire Chief is unable to complete the application online they may download the pdf here.

Important: If an application is written out by hand, it must be mailed to:
NC Fire Marshal's Office, 1194 Prospect Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590
Attention: County Award Applications

All forms must be signed by the Chief of the department and the battalion chairman and then sent directly to the Fire Commission within 90 days of the incident. All applications must be sent return receipt delivery service or faxed with a time stamped receipt. The Fire Marshal's office will send a letter of receipt to the Chief. The Fire Marshal's office will then send a letter confirming receipt of the application to the Chief of department.

Fire Chiefs filing for incidents that occur from October 31st to the end of the year will have until February 1st of the following year to submit an application to be considered for this year's awards ceremony.

In the event that a Chief needs the full 90 days (to submit an application) that will extend beyond the February 1st deadline, the Chief will have the remaining balance of 90 clays after February 1st, but the application will be received and reviewed for the following year The list of the recipients chosen will be sent out by March 1st.

Any appeal of the Award Committee's determination will be submitted in writing to the Chairman of the Fire Commission before the first Fire Commission meeting in March. A Chief of the fire department that is appealing must attend the first Fire Commission meeting in March to defend their appeal. The Fire Commission chairman who has been appointed to chair the Awards Committee may not vote on an appeal. In the event that there is a tie vote on an appeal the appeal will be denied.

The awards ceremony will usually take place during the third week in April. The recipients, their families and department chiefs will be officially invited to this ceremony by the Fire Commission. Anyone else is cordially invited to attend.

Classification of Awards

The following classifications of merit ratings are to be used by the fire chiefs of Nassau County:

  • Supreme Sacrifice
  • Heroic Acts (Three Classes, Fire/Rescue personnel)
  • Voluntary Acts (Civilians only)
  • Unit Citations (Fire Departments only)

SUPREME SACRIFICE

Medal of Valor posthumously awarded to the family of any fire fighter killed in the performance of duty and while personally encountering the ravages of fire.

HEROIC ACTS

(Three classes) - As it is highly desirable that there should be uniformity and certainty in estimating the degree of risk undertaken by a member to entitle him/her to a merit rating in any of the three grades enumerated by the Fire Commission, with regard being given to the fact that the calling of a fire fighter is at all times fraught with personal risk, and that a substantial or noteworthy greater degree of risk than this is essential in awarding ratings by the Awards Committee, the following classifications are established:

  • Class 1 - To entitle a member to a rating in this class, the act under consideration should involve a degree of danger properly to be characterized as Extraordinary Personal Risk.
  • Class 2 - To entitle a member to a rating in this class, the act under consideration should involve a degree of danger properly to be characterized as Great Personal Risk.
  • Class 3 - To entitle a member to a rating in this class, the act under consideration should involve a degree of danger properly to be characterized as Meritorious Personal Risk.
VOLUNTARY ACTS - CIVILIAN AWARDS

Chief or Assistant Chiefs, when recommending the degree of award for meritorious and voluntary duty acts which do not involve a degree of danger properly characterized in Classes 1, 2, or 3, shall make specific recommendations as follows: To entitle a person to a rating in this class, the act under consideration should involve an individual act of personal bravery in conjunction with initiative and capability.

UNIT CITATIONS

When, in the opinion of a Chief or Assistant Chief, the operations of an entire Unit are deserving of an award, he shall make recommendations to the Fire Commission for a Unit Citation. To entitle a unit to this citation, the act under consideration should involve an outstanding department operation, dependent upon teamwork and cooperation.

EMT, EMT-CC AND EMT-P CITATIONS

To be entitled to this award, the member must render medical care of a distinguished or unusually creditable nature to a person whose life is in immediate jeopardy, and does so in a manner that most certainly sustains the person and enables such person to be delivered alive to a medical facility.

RESCUE/EMS UNIT CITATION

When, in the opinion of a Chief or Assistant Chief, the operations of an entire unit renders medical care or rescue operations of a distinguished or unusually credible nature to a person or persons whose life is in immediate jeopardy, and does so in a manner that most certainly sustains the person and enables such person to be delivered alive to a medical facility, he shall make recommendations to the Fire Commission for a Rescue/EMS Unit Citation. To entitle a unit to this citation, the act under consideration should involve an outstanding department operation, dependent upon teamwork and cooperation.

The following are the Awards to be given in each classification:
  1. Supreme Sacrifice - Gold Medal of Valor

    2. Purple and black neck ribbon, with uniform ribbon and Fire Commission citation.

  2. Extraordinary Personal Risk - Gold Medal of Valor

    3. Orange and blue neck ribbon, with uniform ribbon and Fire Commission citation.

  3. Great Personal Risk - Silver Medal of Valor

    4. Orange and blue neck ribbon, with uniform ribbon and Fire Commission citation.

  4. Meritorious Personal Risk - Bronze Medal of Valor

    5. Orange and blue neck ribbon, with uniform ribbon and Fire Commission citation.

  5. Voluntary Acts (Civilian Award)

    6. Fire Commission citation.

  6. Unit Citation

    7. Fire Commission citation.

The Fire Commission citations will be wood laminated plaques, signed by the Fire Marshal and Fire Commission Chairman, and affixed with the Fire Commission seal.

The medals awarded for heroic acts will come with a uniform ribbon to enable the recipients to wear the ribbon on their fire department dress uniforms. To be worn on dress uniforms, they must conform to the rules and regulations of the New York State Volunteer Firemen's Parade and Drill Team Captain's Association, Rule 4, Section 1, of the State Book.

The uniform ribbon will be orange and blue with the center color to designate the specific medal awarded (gold, silver or bronze).