Skip to main content
Carnegie Hero Fund Commission
  • Heroes
    • Latest Award Announcements
      • Award Announcement Archive
    • Rolls of Honor
      • Two-time Carnegie Medal recipients
    • Search Heroes
    • Resources for Heroes & Families
      • Overview
      • Scholarship Form
      • Beneficiary Form
      • Grave Markers
      • Academic Honor Cords
      • Carnegie Medal Refinishing
      • Update Contact Information
    • Request More Information On A Hero
  • Nominate
    • Award Consideration Process
    • Award Nomination Form
    • Case Status Inquiry Form
  • About
    • Mission
    • Deed of Trust
    • History
      • Historical Timeline
    • The Carnegie Medal
    • Commission and Staff
    • Financials
  • News
    • Impulse Archives
    • Impulse Index
    • Other Press Releases
    • Media Coverage
  • Resources
    • A New Century of Heroes
    • Power of One Archive: Hero Fund Awards 10,000th Carnegie Medal
      • Speeches from Power of One Event
    • Annual Reports
    • About Andrew Carnegie
    • European Hero Funds
    • Resources for Media/Presenters
    • Centennial Archive
  • Contact
Carnegie Hero Fund Commission
  • Heroes
    • Latest Award Announcements
      • Award Announcement Archive
    • Rolls of Honor
      • Two-time Carnegie Medal recipients
    • Search Heroes
    • Resources for Heroes & Families
      • Overview
      • Scholarship Form
      • Beneficiary Form
      • Grave Markers
      • Academic Honor Cords
      • Carnegie Medal Refinishing
      • Update Contact Information
    • Request More Information On A Hero
  • Nominate
    • Award Consideration Process
    • Award Nomination Form
    • Case Status Inquiry Form
  • About
    • Mission
    • Deed of Trust
    • History
      • Historical Timeline
    • The Carnegie Medal
    • Commission and Staff
    • Financials
  • News
    • Impulse Archives
    • Impulse Index
    • Other Press Releases
    • Media Coverage
  • Resources
    • A New Century of Heroes
    • Power of One Archive: Hero Fund Awards 10,000th Carnegie Medal
      • Speeches from Power of One Event
    • Annual Reports
    • About Andrew Carnegie
    • European Hero Funds
    • Resources for Media/Presenters
    • Centennial Archive
  • Contact
Award Consideration Process Nominate
Kevin W. Brown, 2000 Carnegie Medal Recipient

Award Consideration Process

The Carnegie Medal is a prestigious award considered one of the highest civilian honors in the U.S. and Canada.

The requirements for the award were largely established by Andrew Carnegie in 1904 and include:

  • The life of a human victim must be in imminent danger of being lost without intervention; this must be believed by the rescuer.
  • The rescuer must be a civilian who knowingly and voluntarily risks death or serious physical injury to an extraordinary degree.
  • The rescuer must have rescued or attempted the rescue of another person.
  • The risk to be undertaken by the rescuer must be perceived by the rescuer and that perception cannot be diminished by outside factors.
  • The act of heroism must have occurred in the United States, Canada, or the waters thereof (12 nautical miles).
  • The act must be brought to the attention of the Commission within two years of the date of its occurrence.
  • The rescuer must not have intentionally or through negligence caused the situation threatening the victim. Those who bear vocational or other responsibility for the safety of the victim must have acted beyond the line of duty.
  • There must be conclusive evidence to support the threat to the victim’s life, the risk undertaken by the rescuer, the rescuer’s degree of responsibility, and the act’s occurrence.

Once the Commission receives a nomination from the public or from media accounts, our research into the incident begins. Each nomination receives equal attention as we strive to thoroughly understand each incident. The process takes at least several months to complete.  Efforts are typically made to gather information from the nominee, the person rescued, the responding agency, and eyewitnesses to the incident. If the nomination looks like it will meet award requirements, case investigators then conduct telephone interviews and write a detailed report summarizing the rescue act, which is submitted to the Commission for a final decision.

Due to the volume of nominations the organization receives each year — about 800 — only those who ultimately receive the Carnegie Medal — about 11 percent — receive notification.

If you have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and your case is under consideration, please keep the Commission informed of any changes to your contact information.

  • Award Consideration Process
  • Award Nomination Form
  • Case Status Inquiry Form
  • Award Consideration Process
  • Award Nomination Form
  • Case Status Inquiry Form
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • YouTube

© 2023 Carnegie Hero Fund Commission®. All rights reserved.
Using our website or providing personal information is your consent to our Terms & Conditions, including our Privacy Notice (including its “Cookies” info).