By Nancy Aziz, American Red Cross Volunteer

Otoniel Gomez’s decision to help others came in the middle of a winter night. His Santa Ana home was on fire. His family was trapped inside. In a split second, he decided to act – risking his own life to save theirs.

After discovering the fire had blocked the stairs, Otoniel escaped through an upstairs window, grabbed three ladders he uses for work and placed them outside the bedroom windows. His wife and one son were able to climb down the ladders, but his youngest son and an elderly tenant could not. So, Otoniel carried them down the ladders to safety.

“Family, my kids, my wife, that's the reason,” he proudly recalled when asked about his heroic actions that saved them all.

Like Gomez, Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Danny Goodwin also made a decision to help others. He made his decision a long time ago - when he became a firefighter.

“This is our job, to provide service. And when you call 9-1-1, no matter if it's a horse, or a person, or a house fire, our job is to respond and do the right thing,” he said.

One night last year, Goodwin, and other members of OCFA’s Technical Rescue Team, came to the aid of a horse that had fallen into a ravine. They airlifted the animal to safety in a complicated nighttime rescue operation. It was just one of the countless times that Goodwin honored his decision to help others in his career as a firefighter.

On Friday, May 1, Gomez, Goodwin and his team, and several other local heroes were all honored at the 2026 Red Cross of Orange County Heroes Awards. The annual event celebrates those whose actions help make their communities – and the world – a better place. Every year, the Red Cross combs through many deserving entries, all nominated by the public, to choose the individuals, businesses, and first responders who most exemplify what it means to be a hero.

“So honestly, one of my favorite parts about this event is there's so much negativity in the world, and being able to celebrate these incredibly positive stories of people doing incredible things in our community it's just inspiring, and it’s such a feel good event, and I think has a ripple effect, right,” said Red Cross of Orange County Executive Director Becky Firey.

Fire Chief Goodwin echoed that sentiment, adding helping others just feels good – a feeling that can be contagious.

“Anything where you're able to give back to the community you see the good outcome of it,” he said. “You're making an impact on not only a person, but a community. And then hopefully the intent is, whether the individual knows or not, but the reverberation from that, hopefully everyone starts giving back.”

The event was held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda. Recipients were honored in eight different categories including Animal Welfare Hero, Disaster Services Hero, Service to the Armed Forces Hero, Gift of Life Hero, Good Samaritan Hero, Youth Hero, First Responder Hero and Corporate Hero. 

Felicia Johnson received the Good Samaritan Hero Award for rescuing an elderly man from chest-high floodwaters. Matthew Murphy II was celebrated as the Gift of Life Hero for donating platelets every two weeks for over 35 years, totaling more than 1,900 platelet units. Dr. Randy Moraitis received the Service to the Armed Forces Hero Award for his non-profit CarePossible, which provides veterans and their families mental health and addiction care for free. John Whitlock and Lincoln Happoldt received the Youth Hero Award for rescuing their Junior Lifeguard instructor from drowning after he suffered a medical emergency. Officer Marcus Futch received the First Responder Hero Award for pulling an unconscious driver from a burning car. And Sungrow North America received the Corporate Hero Award for stepping up during several disasters and supporting the Red Cross mission.

Though each heroic act was different, the heroes all share one thing in common.

“I think just a genuine desire to help others, right? These are people who want to give, want to do more. I mean, in a lot of the circumstances or the stories that we heard, they didn't get, there wasn't time to think or act. They're just people that have that courage, that compassion, that thing in them that makes them want to act. And, you know, not everybody was running into a burning building,” said Firey. “We did have that story today, but there's also quiet courage in choosing to do the right thing all the time. And it's nice to be able to celebrate both of those things in one space.”

Like most of the heroes at the event, Dr. Randy Moraitis said he was honored by the accolades, but downplayed being called a hero. 

“I don’t feel like I’m a hero,” he said. I feel like I’m hero adjacent. I serve heroes, the real heroes are the ones who wear the uniforms.”

Moraitis said he just saw a problem and made the decision to help. He said that’s a decision we all can make.

“Don't just be a bystander if you see problem in the world, get on the solution side, try to help make the world a better place,” he said.

Nominations for the Orange County Heroes Awards are accepted year-round. For more information, visit redcross.org/OCHeroes.