Civil defense officer (or member of a recognized civil defense or emergency preparedness organization) means any individual who is assigned to and is performing the assigned tasks of the unit or organization which has been given a mission under the direction or operational control of a Civil Defense or Emergency Preparedness Director/Coordinator in accordance with a Federal, State or local emergency plan and sanctioned by the government concerned. This also includes emergency management officers. This includes volunteers and paid employees for any governmental entity.

Distinguished Public Safety Service Award means the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Public Safety Service, presented by either the Attorney General or the Administrator of FEMA to public safety officers for distinguished service in the field of public safety.

FEMA means the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Firefighter means a member, regardless of rank or duties, of any organization (including such Federal organizations) in any State consisting of personnel, apparatus, and equipment which has as its purpose protecting property and maintaining the safety and welfare of the public from the dangers of fire. This term includes volunteer or paid employees. The location of any such organization may include, but is not limited to, a Federal installation, a State, city, town, borough, parish, county, fire district, rural fire district or other special district.

Joint Board means the Joint Public Safety Awards Board established by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Attorney General to carry out the purposes of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974.

Law enforcement officer means a person involved in the control or reduction of crime and juvenile delinquency or enforcement of the criminal laws. This includes, but is not limited to, police, corrections, probation, parole, and court officers, and Federal civilian officers in such capacities.

Nominating official means the head of a Federal government department or agency, or his delegatee(s), the governor or other head of a State, or the chief executive or executives of any general governmental unit within any State.

President's Award means the President's Award for Outstanding Public Safety Service, presented by the President of the United States to public safety officers for extraordinary valor in the line of duty or for outstanding contributions to public safety.

Public safety officer means a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, a civil defense officer (or member of a recognized civil defense or emergency preparedness organization), or a law enforcement officer, including a corrections or court officer.

State means any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and any other territory or possession of the United States.