West Volusia Chamber, Halifax Health honor first responders at Fifth Annual Valor Luncheon in Deltona

The West Volusia Regional Chamber of Commerce and Halifax Health UF Health Medical Center of Deltona honored local first responders with valor and lifesaving awards at the fifth annual First Responders Valor Luncheon in Deltona, where departments and individual officers were recognized for responses to multiple 2022 incidents.

The event, hosted by the West Volusia Regional Chamber and Halifax Health, featured award citations for firefighters, deputies and EMS personnel that described the actions that led to nominations, including an on-scene trauma response to a shooting on April 8, 2022; an off‑duty lifesaving response to a stroke at a wedding on Oct. 21, 2022; and a multi‑victim submerged‑vehicle rescue on July 17, 2022.

"Our first responders are the backbone to our health care system," said Lindsey Martin Duffy, director of nursing for emergency services at Halifax Health, UF Health Medical Center of Deltona. "They are the ones responding, entering, acting, treating, and protecting our community members when emergency or crisis arises. Today, we honor you, brave men and women of our community, and we recognize your courage, your sacrifice, and your dedication to serving others." The luncheon also included brief remarks and a blessing from Halifax Health chaplain Suzanne Sachel and emcee remarks and citations read by WKMG reporter Molly Reed.

Major awards and citations presented (summary):

- Firefighter of the Year, Volusia County Fire Rescue: Lieutenant Leslie Crandall. The citation notes Crandall's more-than-20-year career, her work preparing documents for the Federal Aviation Administration inspection, instructional roles and membership on technical teams including TRT, HAZMAT and ARFF. Nominator: Bill Whalen, division chief, airport rescue firefighting, Volusia County Fire Rescue.

- Firefighter of the Year, Deltona Fire Department: Chance Bellifler. The citation describes Bellifler as a training leader active in continuing education and multiple departmental committees, including apparatus and uniform committees, and participation in community events and union activities.

- Lifesaving award, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Wesley Bloom. The April 8, 2022 citation says deputies responded to 321 East Haven Road in DeLand for a reported shooting; after the suspect was taken into custody Deputy Bloom rendered life‑saving trauma care and applied an occlusive chest seal; the victim, identified in the citation as Anwar del Galgadillo, was airlifted to Halifax Hospital and is expected to recover.

- Lifesaving award, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Steven Wells. The Oct. 21, 2022 citation describes an off‑duty response at a wedding where Deputy Wells recognized stroke signs in an attendee (identified as "mister Harrison" in the citation), transported him to an emergency department and the citation reports physicians said that swift action preserved the patient’s treatment options.

- Deputy of the Quarter / Lifesaving award, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office: Sergeant Austin Hairston. The July 17, 2022 citation describes a crash at the I-95 mile marker involving a minivan submerged in a retention pond with five people inside (two adults and three children, ages reported as 13, 12 and 10). Hairston assisted medical personnel in the water, performed CPR and carried a 12‑year‑old roughly 100 yards to the ambulance; the citation notes two occupants later died (a 39‑year‑old female and a 12‑year‑old male) while praising Hairston’s actions.

- Bronze Medal of Valor, Orange City Police Department: Officer Jonathan Presley. The Nov. 11, 2022 citation states Presley located a wanted, armed suspect after a BOLO and helped coordinate a felony traffic stop that resulted in the suspect's arrest on multiple charges (citation lists aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a weapon, grand theft of a motor vehicle and simple battery).

- Silver Medal of Valor (team citation), Orange City Fire Department and Volusia EMS: numerous Orange City and Volusia EMS personnel. The Nov. 10, 2022 citation describes a technical rescue after a tree and vehicle were downed during Hurricane Nicole; crews stabilized a vehicle that had impaled and pinned a patient and extricated the victim after an extended on‑scene operation.

- Silver Medal of Valor, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Lonnie Feaster and Deputy Robert Hansard. The citation recounts an eviction where a former tenant armed himself and deputies de‑escalated and withdrew until backup arrived; the situation ended with no one harmed.

- Gold Medal of Valor, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office: Deputies Jordan Rogeliner and Gage Bryant. The Aug. 25, 2022 citation describes a domestic‑type call where a suspect armed himself and later died by suicide; the citation states the deputies escorted children to safety, held the suspect at gunpoint and engaged in dialogue to try to de‑escalate.

Emcee Molly Reed and event organizers repeatedly thanked sponsors including Halifax Health (presenting sponsor), Space Coast Credit Union, Duke Energy, Florida Healthcare Plans and other local businesses; the Chamber president noted Deltona TV was broadcasting the event live. Attendees included chiefs, supervisors and elected officials who were recognized during the program. The event closed with organizers requesting honorees remain for a group photograph.

Why this matters: the citations recorded at the luncheon document specific emergency responses and identify individual first responders and teams whose actions the Chamber and Halifax Health judged to be exemplary; those descriptions provide contemporaneous public accounts of local emergency responses that may be relevant to departmental recognition records and to families and colleagues of those involved.

Sources: award citations and remarks read at the Fifth Annual First Responders Valor Luncheon by event emcee Molly Reed and by Lindsey Martin Duffy of Halifax Health; invocation by Chaplain Suzanne Sachel; event remarks by the West Volusia Regional Chamber president.