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Gwinnett County firefighters, police officers honored for compassion to unhoused child

Published: April 13, 2026
Gwinnett County firefighters, police named Piedmont Eastside’s First Friday Heroes.

Snellville, Ga. (April 13, 2026) – Piedmont Eastside Medical Center named Gwinnett County Firefighter Isaac Hicks, Driver Engineer Matthew Howard, Lieutenant Dustin Scoggins, Master Police Officer Joshua Bishop, Police Officer Dominique Larkin and Sergeant Chris McGrath as their First Friday Heroes for April.

On Feb. 12, 2026, Gwinnett County Fire Station 26 (Hicks, Howard and Scoggins) and Gwinnett County Police Department (McGrath) responded to a report of a child locked in a vehicle in Sugar Hill. Upon arrival, they discovered the two-year-old child and her mother were living out of the vehicle. While awaiting assistance from the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services, the team made plans to care for the child at Station 26.

Using their own money, they purchased clothes, shoes, diapers, wipes, a backpack, food and Valentine’s Day gifts. Officers Bishop and Larkin transported the child to the station, where she was welcomed with the items, snacks and a home-cooked meal.

Piedmont Eastside celebrated the team’s extraordinary compassion on Monday, April 13. Christopher Greenland, MD, Medical Director of Piedmont Eastside’s Emergency Department, presented the honorees with certificates of appreciation.

“For first responders, emergency assistance often doesn’t end with the initial response,” Dr. Greenland said. “These individuals went above and beyond the call of duty to provide comfort and supplies to the child during an incredibly difficult day.”

Scott Sanders, Operations Battalion Chief with Gwinnett Fire, also praised the team. “The gentlemen treated the child with the utmost respect, dignity and humanity, and their outpouring of love was simply heartwarming,” he said. “They displayed the true meaning of what it means to be a servant.”

Piedmont Eastside created the First Friday Hero program to recognize first responders and everyday heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. If you’d like to nominate a first responder to be a First Friday Hero, please submit a nomination to firstfridayheroeastside@piedmont.org. Nominations should include:

  • Your name and contact information
  • Nominee’s name, employer and employer’s contact information
  • Brief summary of why the nominee should be recognized as a First Friday Hero
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