A celebration was held to honor the best among us.
Community members gathered Friday at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading for the 22nd annual Berks County Heroes Breakfast, an occasion to recognize individuals who have demonstrated heroism through extraordinary acts of courage, kindness and service to the community.
The event, organized by the American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter, was an opportunity to salute those who have made an impact on their neighbors.
The winners of this year’s awards:
911 Dispatch Hero — William Shuman
Shuman spent 36 years as a telecommunicator at the Berks County 911 center.
Just a few months before his retirement, he was working a house fire call on Mohns Hill Road in Spring Township. During the fire Capt. Ryan Bingaman fell through a compromised floor and became suspended upside down in wiring below the floorboards, with no way to reach his radio.
When a mayday was transmitted and no confirmation came back from the scene, Shuman repeated the call himself. That action alerted other firefighters to the captain’s location with roughly five minutes of air left in his tank.
Fire Safety Heroes – Brian Rhein, Christian Sixtos-Flores, Barry Readinger, Scott Gullo, Jeff Rhoads and Jeb Cooper
On April 28, 2025, a fire broke out at a home on White Bear Road in Robeson Township, and three people were trapped. Geigertown Fire Chief Scott Gullo arrived first and pulled one victim from the home without protective breathing equipment, while off-duty Sgt. Jeff Rhoads stood watch at the door.
Robeson police Cpl. Jeb Cooper performed CPR on the first victim for more than five minutes until EMS arrived.
Deputy Chief Brian Rhein, Lt.Christian Sixtos-Flores and firefighter Barry Readinger were working a road crew shift nearby when the call came in — they grabbed their gear and entered the smoke-filled home without air tanks to rescue additional victims. All three firefighters suffered smoke inhalation and were hospitalized for a short time.
Military Hero — Michael Weil
Weil served as an infantryman in the Army and took part in the liberation of Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
After returning home, he faced homelessness, unemployment and post-traumatic stress that left him suicidal. He rebuilt his life and now oversees the Neil Kaufman Veterans Center in Mount Penn, which helps homeless former service members find permanent housing. He runs monthly Stand Down events in Reading and Pottstown, provides free medical transport for veterans and organizes food drives through the Veterans Coalition of Pennsylvania.
Medical Hero — Cody Ehling
Ehling was washing dishes in the kitchen at Wingstop in Muhlenberg Township one night last March when he heard a co-worker yelling from the front of the restaurant. He found a baby who had stopped breathing and was beginning to turn blue.
Drawing on 18 years of training as a volunteer firefighter, Ehling took the infant outside, turned him over in his arms and gently rubbed his back until the baby started crying and color returned to his face.
Community Impact Hero – Dr. Solomon Lausch
Lausch served as superintendent of the Schuylkill Valley School District for 15 years before retiring in 2012, capping a career that included two years in the Peace Corps and nearly two decades in urban education in Baltimore.
He volunteers twice a month reading to kindergarten students. He said his goal is to serve as a consistent, positive male role model and to show students that they matter.