>> we did not expect the house to be so packed tonight, so i apologize for lack of seating in

the back. i am inspector john wrote a and chief inspector secretary. -- john monroe. i would like to welcome you to the 2012 middle of valor ceremony. can we all please rise for the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. into the republic, for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. thank you. you can have a seat. i would like to acknowledge and introduce some of the people we have on the stage with us. first, at the police commission president, thomas mazzucco, commissioner kingsley, paul henderson from the mayor's office as representing because the mayor was unable to come

tonight. also, we have commissioner loftus. also, the command at steep. d staff. deputy chief james that lake, lyn tomioka, leanora militello, and next to lyn commander biel, corrier from field comman.

i would like to introduce chief grigory p. suhr. >> good evening, and hopefully lyn still wants to be your boss tomorrow. i know it is quiet and there are a lot of kids in the room. that is terrific. the medal of valor ceremony is the best event that we get to attend. it is when there is a crisis, emergency, extreme danger and takes everything you have to go forward, and everyone else that would want to run away, the people you will hear about tonight not only went forward, but they stood their ground, they saved lives, they promoted public safety, and i have been attending the medal of valor ceremonies as a captain since

1996, and i can honestly tell you the stories you will hear tonight in the roster we are born to go down tonight is the most impressive night of the medal of valor ceremonies i have had in however many years. it really is something. tonight is for a officers to recognize them, but also for their families and officers that are not necessarily going to be recognized, because it shows what they're capable of. san francisco's finest, if you will. they just do it, they do all the time. we get used to it, because they do it without a segment thought. than they are embarrassed for the recognition. if you are parent, child, a loved one, whatever, it is so important that this is also for

you for lending us if these fine men and women for their time when they are serving the city as san francisco police officers, because they will -- when you hear these stories, it will take your breath away. nobody would blame them for not if they had, and they did not. you have heard enough of me, so let's get to storytelling and recognition. thank you all for coming. [applause] >> thank you, chief. commissioner president mazzucco: . president mazzucco: thank you. after watching your vision, i am a little nervous. i drove with him today. on behalf of the san francisco police commission, i want to thank you all for coming here this evening. it is an honor to stand before the police officers this evening, and i am humbled by it.

when you hear their acts of valor, a chill will run up your spine. these men and women who have joined the police department to serve the city took an extra step, and i was actually the commissioner president during the voting for each and every one of these metals. a little bit about the process. in this process the only people allowed in the room are civil service capt. and above. id was allowed in the room, and it was an honor to be there. inspector monroe was preside pr. interestingly, after every presentation they turn to the officers and say, do you have anything to add? not one officer added anything other than we were doing our job. we were doing what we were trained to do. i am thinking about how many

people watch these action tv shows, things that are not real, and i am listening to what really happened. people watch reality shows where people deucedly games to impress people. i am sitting here saying this is impressive. these men and women risk their lives for the city. it goes through the process in the command staff boats. they use little marbles. there are black marbles and gold marbles. they bowed. they get two-thirds of the boat from the command staff. these members of the command staff, many are very decorated. they make this decision not likely. then they bring the officer's back and they get a standing ovation from command staff. that is one of the most impressive things you will ever see. i want to think the family members. -- thank the family of members. you made them who they are.

men and women who are willing to risk their lives to protect the public. there is something special about them, and you deserve the credit for it. tonight i would not be surprised if many of you do not know the true story until tonight. there will be a chill running up your spine when you hear about what they do. you will be very proud of them. we're so proud of what they do. i want to send the family members for making them who they are in sharing them with us and sharing them with us. these are our heroes, and i really appreciate it. [applause] >> thank you. now the represent hitters -- representative from the mayor's office, paul henderson. to >> paul henderson.

>> this is one of my favorite events to come to, only because it reminds me at my very core why we all do the work that we do. i think it is one of those things where you see reality tv. i see a lot of news for you could have the story or get a perspective of the story of what is going on in the streets every day. rarely do we hear the story from the men and women on the streets protecting us every day, and there is always a story about the job people are doing that is so impressive. tonight is a culmination of the stories we get to hear about the dollar and integrity and of

bravery and courage from the men and women that served us every single day. i try to remember the stories that i hear at this event throughout the rest of the year when i'm watching the news, when i am reading the newspaper, when i am at meetings listening to what people are saying about public safety. this really does serve as an inspiration to me personally and to the city of san francisco, which is why i am here on behalf of the mayor. i am here tonight, and i brought proclamations for each and every one of the awardees on behalf of the mayor and city of sanford says go to thank you for the trip -- work you do and for being an inspiration to all of us who are working in public safety to continue what you were doing. you really are the modern-day heroes. thank you very much. it is a pleasure to be here and in honor. -- an honor.

[applause] >> thank you, paul. the chiefs took a third of my pager was going to talk about. the commission took the other third. that gives me time to acknowledge people that i saw here this evening. thank you. some of the retired, micki griffin, a larry ryan. there is one gentleman here that i have to mention. that is deputy chief santos. thank you. [applause] this is not the kind of ceremony that he will ast we ask you to l

the end to applause. i want you to jump up and down. do not read anything, because we will have to pay for it. but the know we appreciate them. i'm going to get right to it. first up, john garrity. i would like to have sergeant beretta, brian, morris and johnson up on the stage, please. capt. garity will redo the award citation. -- will read the award citation.

>> good evening. on wednesday, october 10, circuit brother brian and melissa morris and merck mulligan and officer james johnson of the central station responded to a fire at 8 -- 824 height street in downtown san francisco. officers found the first and second story buildings involved in flames. leaving the residents, many of them students inside the six- story building in grave danger. officers immediately entered the building and began evaluating the evidence, pounding on doors and alerting them there was a fire. many of them were still asleep. essentially they were forced to withdraw from the building because the heat was so intense in the building. the fire department was still in route to the fire.

not until the fire department arrived did it take over the evacuation of the fire personnel were ordered out of the building onto the street for the structure at 824 high street, and asphalt and some of the fire equipment had to be moved because the heat was so intense it was buckling the street and the water pipes. the fire spread quickly and started the fire department personnel were overwhelmed. buildings on either side started to go up in the flames. already the buildings were starting to go. the above officers entered the building to evacuate more students and even some in the adjacent building.

approximately 150 residents were evacuated from the buildings through the smoke and haze. the ceilings bubbling, and the heat from the bookshelves were still smoldering when they exited the building. many of the residents were asleep, and where they were in mortal danger. if they have not been opened, there would have suffocated and many would have passed away in the fire. upon conferring with the fire chief, i learned there where no deaths in the fire, no serious injuries. we credit the actions of these officers for saving many lives and that fire. when i was a little boy, my grandfather told me a story -- grandmother told me a story that a fire has no conscious at all. these officers, from their historic actions and volunteers

-- the call for many volunteers to go into the fire that night, and only the officers on the scene into the fire without any kind of protective fire equipment, gloves, or masks. they save the lives of many students and people. they represent the highest standard of service the san francisco police department has to offer. [applause] >> for this at the brewery, they will be presented the bronze medal of valor. [applause]