Five groups of people, including law enforcement, firefighters, medical professionals and community leaders, were honored for their heroic actions and local contributions Wednesday morning at the Heinz History Center.”It’s just something that we can all rally around, right? In a time where it seems like everyone’s mad at each other, this is something that’s so beautiful,” said Jorge Martinez, CEO of American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania.The awards were divided into five categories: community impact hero, fire safety heroes, medical heroes, and law enforcement heroes.Among the honorees were firefighters Brian Loughridge and Kris Siegert from the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department, who presented a fire safety education program at Jefferson Elementary School. Nine-year-old Shivansh Shivansh, who attended the program, later applied what he learned when a fire broke out in his apartment.”When I first heard about what happened, it really just brought a smile to my face. It was like a justification of all that time spent,” Loughridge said.Their fire chief nominated both firefighters and Shivansh for their efforts, with Loughridge and Siegert calling Shivansh the real hero.Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube ChannelMedical heroes Rob and Crystal Haus, a cardiology nurse practitioner and the Arnold police chief, were also honored for saving a man’s life when he went into cardiac arrest inside a Giant Eagle grocery store. The couple was leaving the store when they heard a medical call over the intercom. They found Denny Soroka unconscious and acted quickly.”My husband started CPR and applied the AED, shocking Denny, and he came back to life,” Crystal Haus said. “Great timing, great place to be and a great outcome,” Rob Haus said. The couple, along with members of the store’s pharmacy team, were recognized for their swift and brave actions. Soroka attended the ceremony and expressed his gratitude. “If it wasn’t for Rob and Crystal being there, I wouldn’t be here today,” Soroka said. Other honorees included Clearfield County officers who rescued a family and their pets from a burning home, an Aliquippa businessman who started an after-school program introducing over 50 young people to construction trades, and a dance school teacher whose adaptive program tailors lessons for students with disabilities, including nonverbal and wheelchair-bound individuals. Applications to nominate a hero for 2027 are now open. You can find the application here.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH —
Five groups of people, including law enforcement, firefighters, medical professionals and community leaders, were honored for their heroic actions and local contributions Wednesday morning at the Heinz History Center.
“It’s just something that we can all rally around, right? In a time where it seems like everyone’s mad at each other, this is something that’s so beautiful,” said Jorge Martinez, CEO of American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania.
The awards were divided into five categories: community impact hero, fire safety heroes, medical heroes, and law enforcement heroes.
Among the honorees were firefighters Brian Loughridge and Kris Siegert from the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department, who presented a fire safety education program at Jefferson Elementary School. Nine-year-old Shivansh Shivansh, who attended the program, later applied what he learned when a fire broke out in his apartment.
“When I first heard about what happened, it really just brought a smile to my face. It was like a justification of all that time spent,” Loughridge said.
Their fire chief nominated both firefighters and Shivansh for their efforts, with Loughridge and Siegert calling Shivansh the real hero.
Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel
Medical heroes Rob and Crystal Haus, a cardiology nurse practitioner and the Arnold police chief, were also honored for saving a man’s life when he went into cardiac arrest inside a Giant Eagle grocery store. The couple was leaving the store when they heard a medical call over the intercom. They found Denny Soroka unconscious and acted quickly.
“My husband started CPR and applied the AED, shocking Denny, and he came back to life,” Crystal Haus said.
“Great timing, great place to be and a great outcome,” Rob Haus said.
The couple, along with members of the store’s pharmacy team, were recognized for their swift and brave actions. Soroka attended the ceremony and expressed his gratitude.
“If it wasn’t for Rob and Crystal being there, I wouldn’t be here today,” Soroka said.
Other honorees included Clearfield County officers who rescued a family and their pets from a burning home, an Aliquippa businessman who started an after-school program introducing over 50 young people to construction trades, and a dance school teacher whose adaptive program tailors lessons for students with disabilities, including nonverbal and wheelchair-bound individuals.
Applications to nominate a hero for 2027 are now open. You can find the application here.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.