Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
[Video credit: LAFD Foundation / Valor Awards 2025]
Under the lights of Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation hosted its annual VALOR Awards on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, bringing together city leaders, corporate partners, and community members to recognize firefighters for their courage and service.
The 2025 ceremony opened with a VIP reception, giving guests the rare opportunity to meet LAFD personnel, view firefighting apparatus up close, and watch exclusive demonstrations highlighting the department’s life-saving capabilities. As the sun set over Chavez Ravine, attendees took their seats on the infield for dinner and the start of the evening’s formal program.
VALOR is the Foundation’s signature event, an annual tradition honoring men and women whose decisive actions, expert training, and selfless commitment have protected lives across and beyond Los Angeles. This year’s honorees were celebrated through a series of video presentations and personal stories, each underscoring the weight of the split-second decisions firefighters make on the city’s toughest days.
2025 Honorees
Medal of Merit:
Captain I Daniel Lievense
Engineer Matthew Lievense
Captain I Christopher Sebourn
Special Commendation:
Firefighter III Armen Chalian
Firefighter III Joseph Coleman
Firefighter III Kari Field
Firefighter III Darren Lloyd
Firefighter III Daniel Nakamura
Engineer David Roberts
Firefighter III Andrew Talley
Unit of the Year:
Critical Incident Planning & Training Section (CIPTS)
The annual VALOR Awards celebrate not only the heroism of individual firefighters, but also the vital role of the LAFD Foundation in empowering them, ensuring that our city’s first responders have the tools, technology, and support necessary to protect our city’s four million residents.
[Video credit: LAFD Foundation / Valor Awards 2025]
Under the lights of Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation hosted its annual VALOR Awards on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, bringing together city leaders, corporate partners, and community members to recognize firefighters for their courage and service.
The 2025 ceremony opened with a VIP reception, giving guests the rare opportunity to meet LAFD personnel, view firefighting apparatus up close, and watch exclusive demonstrations highlighting the department’s life-saving capabilities. As the sun set over Chavez Ravine, attendees took their seats on the infield for dinner and the start of the evening’s formal program.
VALOR is the Foundation’s signature event, an annual tradition honoring men and women whose decisive actions, expert training, and selfless commitment have protected lives across and beyond Los Angeles. This year’s honorees were celebrated through a series of video presentations and personal stories, each underscoring the weight of the split-second decisions firefighters make on the city’s toughest days.
2025 Honorees
Medal of Merit:
Captain I Daniel Lievense
Engineer Matthew Lievense
Captain I Christopher Sebourn
Special Commendation:
Firefighter III Armen Chalian
Firefighter III Joseph Coleman
Firefighter III Kari Field
Firefighter III Darren Lloyd
Firefighter III Daniel Nakamura
Engineer David Roberts
Firefighter III Andrew Talley
Unit of the Year:
Critical Incident Planning & Training Section (CIPTS)
The annual VALOR Awards celebrate not only the heroism of individual firefighters, but also the vital role of the LAFD Foundation in empowering them, ensuring that our city’s first responders have the tools, technology, and support necessary to protect our city’s four million residents.
