FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES — A Caltrans District 7 employee was one of five Caltrans workers to receive the Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor Friday, the highest honor bestowed to public servants who performed extraordinary acts of heroism above and beyond the normal call of duty and at great risk to their own life.
District 7 Maintenance Area Superintendent Jerry Prado received a Silver Medal of Valor for intervening in a suicide attempt and supporting a community member in crisis on March 13, 2024. When Prado saw a young man on a bridge railing, preparing to jump, he stopped, ran to him, and pulled him to safety, risking his own life. He provided emotional support until emergency services arrived. This act of courage and compassion saved the young man's life, despite the unknown risks Prado faced.
“We are extremely proud of these five Caltrans workers who courageously risked their own lives to provide life-saving service to their community,” Caltrans Acting Director Mike Keever said. “Today, all of Caltrans joins Governor Gavin Newsom in honoring and thanking them for their selfless acts to help others.”
The annual State Employee Medal of Valor award was first presented by Governor Edmund G. Brown Sr. in 1959.
In the 66 years these awards have been given, more than 800 state employees—including 130 from Caltrans—have earned medals of valor for their courage and selflessness in the face of danger.
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