JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – 18 first responders are being honored Thursday for “heroic acts beyond the call of duty.”
Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe will present ten Missouri Medals of Valor to those who performed an act of exceptional courage to save a life. He’ll also present nine Red, White, and Blue Heart Awards to first responders seriously or fatally injured in the line of duty.
Six of those awards are being given posthumously.
One of those honorees is fallen St. Louis firefighter Benjamin Polson. He died in the line of duty in January of last year, when the roof of a vacant home collapsed on him while he was searching for fire victims.