Atlanta Fire Foundation Unveils Simmons Partnership, Honors Local Heroes

ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For years, the Atlanta Fire Foundation has honored the city's fearless first-responders. This year, the annual Breakfast with Our Bravest awards ceremony was hosted on November 16 at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center. Fire Chief Kelvin Cohran, recently named Fire Chief of the Year, was joined by honorary chair Governor Roy E. Barnes and emcee Ted Hall, local news anchor.

The ceremony doles out dozens of awards each year, and three significant honors presented during Breakfast with Our Bravest 2012 are the Medal of Valor, the Award of Merit and the Firefighter of the Year.

The Medal of Valor was awarded for an act of bravery or heroism that clearly places the recipient in a life-threatening situation. For his rescue of a victim trapped in a construction pit, Lieutenant Ronald Slatton received this honor.

The Award of Merit was presented to two members of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department for acts heroism or bravery involving great personal risk. For his protection of a car accident victim in the line of gunfire, Sergeant Varlon Anderson received this honor. For his saving of a house fire victim, Firefighter David Warren also received this honor.

The Firefighter of the Year Award recognizes that firefighter whose overall work, performance, service, spirit and accomplishment warrant special attention. For his dedication as a battalion aid, backup public information officer, live-fire instructor and more, Sergeant Bobby Stewart received this honor.

In addition to honoring these sacrifices, the foundation also unveiled a new partnership with Atlanta-based Simmons Bedding Company, which will donate approximately 275 beds to Atlanta fire stations. The new BEAUTYREST® beds will replace existing mattresses in the department's 30 stations with sleeping quarters.

For more information visit www.atlff.org.

About the Atlanta Fire Foundation
The Atlanta Fire Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides an avenue for businesses and citizens to donate money or other items to assist the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department in meeting or exceeding their goals and needs. In 2004, the foundation was established to support Atlanta's bravest by promoting excellence as the unyielding standard for emergency services through professional development, community risk reduction, fire station renovations, special recognition programs and special operations efforts.

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SOURCE Atlanta Fire Foundation