President Biden will award the Medal of Valor, the nation’s highest honor for bravery by a public safety officer, to eight officers Friday, including five who responded to a school shooting in Nashville in 2023.

The medal is awarded to those who “have exhibited exceptional courage — disregarding their own personal safety — in attempting to save or protect human life,” the White House said in announcing the honorees.

Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert, and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle, and Zachary Plese were first responders to the March 2023 shooting at The Covenant School, an elementary school in Nashville. Three 9-year-olds and three teachers were killed by the shooter, a former student. Officers apprehended the shooter.

Sgt. Tu Tran of Lincoln, Nebraska, will also receive the honor for saving the life of a woman who was drowning in a freezing pond in February 2023. Sgt. Tran jumped into the pond and swam more than 30 feet to where the woman’s vehicle was sinking. He pulled her out of the vehicle and the water. She was treated by medics and survived.

Two firefighters on the list of honorees hail from the New York City Fire Department. Lt. John Vanderstar rushed into a burning apartment in October 2022 to save a mother and her child. Both survived.

Firefighter Brendan Gaffney rushed through a burning apartment building twice in February 2023 to save two unconscious victims — a pregnant woman and a child. He used his body to get the child out safely and then returned for the pregnant woman. He performed CPR on the woman, and both survived.

Mr. Biden will be presenting the awards at the White House on Friday, a day after honoring 20 individuals with the Presidential Citizens Medal.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.