National award needs Pa. heroes — soon

Last year, a Philadelphia detective and a Pittsburgh-area pediatrician were two of the three winners of a national heroism award.

This year, Pennsylvania could use some more nominations.

And time is running out.

The Citizen Service Before Self Honors, first bestowed in 2008, is overseen by the foundation that bestows the Congressional Medal of Honor, one of the nation's most prestigious awards.

Pennsylvania is "pretty low at this point as compared to previous years," said Kelly Dieter, a spokeswoman for the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation.

"New Jersey is a bit ahead of Pennsylvania," she said.

Nominations are being accepted till Friday, Feb. 10, at at www.citizenservicebeforeselfhonors.org. (Click on "Nominate a honoree today!" toward bottom of page.)

One of 2011's three recipients was Philadelphia Police detective Timothy Brooks, who dove into the Delaware River to save a woman and her three children after a duck boat crashed into a barge on July 7, 2010. Two Hungarian student tourists died in the accident.

At the ceremonies last March near the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, Va., Pittsburgh-area pediatrician Pascal Spino also was honored for "a lifetime's commitment to treating children, often not charging those who cannot afford healthcare and saving tens of thousands of lives." The third award was given posthumously to Marie Conley of Massachusetts for saving a boy by using her own body to shield him from an oncoming car in October 2008.

In 2009, New Jersey's Rick Rescorla was another posthumous honoree. As a security chief for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, he oversaw the successful evacuation of 2,700 employees from the World Trade Center then re-entered the tower to help others, despite pleas not to go. His remains were never found.

The awards are presented by Congressional Medal of Honor winners.

More information: www.citizenservicebeforeselfhonors.org.