Whenever possible, the Carnegie Hero Fund coordinates a local, in-person presentation of the Carnegie Medal to a newly awarded Carnegie hero. Because the limited number of Commission members and staff cannot present the Medal in each circumstance, the Commission will reach out to various local, state, and federal officials, or a volunteer cadre of previously awarded Carnegie heroes to present the Carnegie Medal, once it is produced, which generally takes two to three months after the announcement of the award.
For those who have never presented the Carnegie Medal, it can feel intimidating. Below are some resources to assist presenters of the Carnegie Medal. We couldn’t be more grateful to have you help make this moment special for these heroes.
We ask that the office conducting the presentation communicate directly with the Carnegie Medal recipient or their family to make planning easiest for everyone.
There is no set template for presentations. They can be big or small, public or private, or at a standing event (such as a city council meeting or police department awards ceremony) or a stand-alone event. It is really up to the hero, their family, and the officials involved.
Once the time and date of the presentation are confirmed, the Hero Fund can send out a presentation kit that includes a DVD about the Carnegie Medal, the Hero Fund, and its heroes that can be shown at the presentation, as well as additional information about the Hero Fund and the recipient being recognized at the ceremony. The videos are also available on YouTube:
A general agenda on how the Carnegie Medal is typically presented:
- An introduction is made of the presenter, the recipient, and their family attending the event, and a brief explanation of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission (Download a one-page brief about the Commission).
- Video(s) shown (if technology to do so is available).
- The presenter reads the act summary as written by the Commission, recipient is called to the front of the room, and receives the Carnegie Medal.
- Hero is given an opportunity to speak if desired.
The Carnegie Medal is shipped directly to an official involved in the presentation, and the Hero Fund needs about two weeks to make arrangements to do that.