The Governor's Medal of Valor Awards

The Governor's State Employee Medal of Valor Award is the highest honor California bestows on its public servants. The first awards were presented by Governor Edmund G. Brown on March 6, 1959, to Officer Edward Fitzgerald of the San Francisco Port Authority's Harbor Police force and State Traffic Officer Robert Walker of the California Highway Patrol. To date, over 800 medals have been awarded to state employees in all professions, from Analyst to CHP Officer to Water Resources Technician.

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Award

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor is the highest state award for valor awarded to a public safety officer.  Under legislation signed into law in 2003, the Governor is authorized to award the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor to one or more persons cited by the Attorney General for their extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty.