Coral Springs police officer honored with Broward County Medal of Valor Award
Coral Springs police officer Hannah Rincon has spent the better part of a decade working to improve law enforcement policies for special needs residents.
Now, those efforts have been honored with a major award.
Rincon was one of over 50 first responders highlighted by the Broward Sheriff’s Advisory Council (BSAC) in the sixth annual Medal of Valor ceremony, which honors “those who sacrifice their safety for the lives of others and protect their communities.”
One of Rincon’s most well-recognized programs is the Coral Springs Special Needs Database, which she is credited with creating in 2016. The city was the first in Florida to build a registry of people with special needs designed to assist first responders during emergency situations.
She also played a major role in the city’s partnership with AngelSense, which sells GPS tracking devices designed to help find children and adults with neurological and developmental disabilities that make them prone to wandering, such as autism and Alzheimer’s.
Rincon has served as the only sworn member of the city’s Community Involvement Unit since 2020, according to the BSAC announcement. Before that, she was a school resource officer at Coral Park and Park Springs elementary schools.
She has also been recognized for efforts to bring food and toys to families in need during the holiday season and replacing a child’s stolen bike.
First responders from across the county were honored for preventing major car accidents to rescuing passengers from burning vehicles, resuscitating drowning victims and preventing suicides.
“We had the honor of recognizing the moments when first responders step forward and make decisions that change lives,” BSAC chairman Andy Mitchell said in a May 12 news release. “Our organization is committed to making sure they are supported every day they put on their uniform.”
The Broward Sheriff’s Advisory Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the first responders of Broward County, including the families of those killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty and funding equipment upgrades, training, community outreach and wellness initiatives.
