ELK GROVE, Calif. (KGET)—For 38 years, the California Department of Corrections has honored employees for bravery and service with the Annual Medal of Valor Ceremony.

Lieutenant Larry Faria of Fresno was awarded the Medal of Valor after saving a girl from a burning Prius smashed by a semi in July 2022. The girl’s father died at the scene.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Faria. “We, you know, saved her life, but it will never be the same.”

Also, this year, 26 workers received bronze, silver, or gold medals for saving lives in the line of duty including Registered Nurse, Priscilla Rodriguez from the Kern Valley State Prison in Delano.

Rodriguez was awarded the Bronze Star after saving the life of a girl at a cemetery in April 2022. The girl was overdosing inside a locked car and not breathing.

After the girl’s boyfriend flagged down Priscilla Rodriguez with his cell phone, the two smashed the window, pulled the girl out and started CPR.

Hero nurse, Priscilla Rodriguez says it was intuition that brought her to the Hillcrest Cemetery that night saving a life in the process, and she did it by using Narcan.

Narcan blocks the deadly opioids like fentanyl on the brain. It takes effect in three to five minutes, and you can get the drug over the counter without a prescription. It can even be used if it’s expired, according to the American Pharmacists Association.

Narcan comes in a two-dose pack and typically costs about $45. You can get yours for free at the Kern County Library.

Because with Narcan, everyone has the power to save a life.

For more information on Narcan, click here.