Washington Medal of Valor
| Washington Medal of Valor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
Awarded by Governor of Washington |
|
| Type | Medal |
| Eligibility | All persons, living or deceased, except those employed in "hazardous professions." |
| Awarded for | "exceptionally valorous service, given in the act of saving the life of another" |
| Status | Active |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1999 |
| First awarded | 2006 |
| Total awarded | 8 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Washington Medal of Merit |
| Next (lower) | Washington Gift of Life Award |
The Washington Medal of Valor is one of three statutory civilian awards and decorations issued by the state of Washington, the others being the Washington Medal of Merit and the Washington Gift of Life Award (the state also issues the Washington Law Enforcement Medal of Honor and a number of military decorations). Washington law does not describe an order of precedence for state decorations, though the Medal of Valor is generally considered the state's second-highest honor, after the Medal of Merit.
The Medal of Valor is awarded for valorous actions done to save the life of another person and undertaken at risk of injury or death.
All persons, living or dead, except persons employed in "hazardous professions" (specifically including police and firefighters), are eligible for the medal. The medal is bestowed by the Governor of Washington on the advice of the "medal of valor committee," which is composed of the governor himself, as well as the chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, the speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives, and the president of the Washington State Senate. The Washington Secretary of State serves as the committee's secretary. The process for nomination is not set by law, but, under current rules adopted by the committee, any person may nominate a qualified candidate through submission of a letter of nomination to the secretary of state who periodically presents received nominations to the committee for consideration.
State law requires that the Medal of Valor "be of .999 pure silver and shall consist of the seal of the state of Washington, surrounded by a raised laurel wreath and suspended from a silver bar device inscribed "For Valor" which is suspended from a ring attached by a dark green ribbon, bordered by silver." In addition to the recipient's name, the reverse reads "for exceptionally valorous service, given in the act of saving the life of another." By custom, the medal is awarded by the Governor during a joint session of the Washington State Senate and Washington State House of Representatives at the Washington State Capitol specially convened for the purpose of presenting the award. The authorizing legislation does not specify a frequency for issuing the medal, and it has generally been awarded sparsely and irregularly.
...
Wikipedia