Local first responders and a 7-year-old boy will be recognized at Thursday’s Heroes Day awards ceremony.
Officials from the Tucson Police Department, Northwest Fire, Eloy Police Department, U.S. Marshal Service Arizona, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base will be in attendance. They will be honored for “life-saving acts of bravery and quick-thinking,” a news release says.
An award will also be presented to 7-year-old Anthony Castrillo, who saved his 2-year-old cousin from drowning.
Among the other honorees are:
- Senior Airman Austin Henson and Technical Sgt. Benjamin Cole of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The two were deployed to eastern Africa and led helicopter rescue efforts. “After patients were flown out of danger, they were called back to the area under attack to save additional lives, which they did without hesitation,” the release says.
- Sgt. John Malovich of the Tucson Police Department’s SWAT team. Malovich voluntarily responded to a call of a barricaded suspect and threats of setting a house on fire. Gasoline had been used inside the home, so Malovich shut off the gas lines and helped evacuate nearby residents. No one was hurt in the incident.
- LPO Erika Munoz and Officer Marcos Ramirez of the Tucson Police Department. The two responded to a domestic violence call and found an apartment on fire. Nearby residents were evacuated, but Munoz was informed that there was a 1-year-old child still inside the apartment. She entered the burning apartment with no protective gear, but found there was no child inside. No one was seriously hurt.
The Heroes Day award ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. in the courtyard of La Encantada, 2805 E. Skyline Drive.
Senior Airman Austin Henson and Technical Sergeant Benjamin Cole from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base led dangerous helicopter rescue efforts in eastern Africa.
TPD Sergeant John Malovich responded to a gas line emergency.
