A group of campus peace officers were honored at the annual Medal Award and Recognition Ceremony conducted by the Department of Safety at Hunter College. But the man of the hour had to be Officer Joseph Ziel, who received six awards, including the department’s highest commendation, the Medal of Honor.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Ziel, a campus peace officer since 1999, was awarded Excellent Duty, Meritorious Duty and Service Commendation Medals, and was also recognized as part of two groups awarded unit citations.

Lt. Robert Lyons, assistant director of the Public Safety Department, said Ziel’s Medal of Honor was awarded for actions he took on Dec. 12 when a large residential building on 69th St. and Lexington Ave., only a block away from the college, erupted in flames.

The heat of the fire caused windows to break and people were running from it crying for help, Lyons said.

“Offiucer Ziel ran into the building while it was on fire with a large amount of smoke coming from the area and began to evacuate the entire building prior to the arrival of the Fire Department,” he said. “His action saved lives at the risk of his own life.”

Ziel was the first officer to enter the building.

For the part they played in evacuating the burning building before firefighters arrived, a Unit Citation was awarded to Ziel, Sgt. James Montgomery, and Officers Wauneka Hardy, Robert Diggs, Philipa Bruce, Crystal Brown, Neftali Carmona, Javier Velazquez, Bennie Cleveland, William Manas and Sean Gachett.

Ziel’s second Unit Citation involved a report of a bomb at the corner of 69th St. and Park Ave. on Sept. 4. The entire North building had to be evacuated, Lyons said, and the officers got students and faculty out quickly and safely.

This citation named Sgt. Montgomery, Officers Hardy, Ziel, Diggs, Kevin Jacob, Anthony Nieves, Rabindranath Kalapnauth, and Lt. Lyons.

A Unit Citation was also presented to officers who, on Dec. 7, managed to talk a young female student out of jumping to her death from a 5th floor window ledge.

Involved in this action were Officers Craig Marshall, Leroy Darby, Thomas Cremore, Flynn Jones, Dominic Ojeevwe, Wayne Sibblies, Harrichand, Abdur Faheem and Muhammed Elhanafi.

Excellent Duty Medals were awarded Officers Ziel, Jacob, Gachett and Shawn Simmons. Simmons was honored for actions he took to protect a female staff member in the college’s registration office who was attacked by a former student.

Ziel, Jacob and Gachett received their excellent duty awards for chasing and apprehending a would-be bicycle thief on Dec. 16.

Ziel was given a Meritorious Duty Medal for his excellent work in uncovering a phony Metrocard scam that was being carried out in the subway station outside the college entrance. Ziel took part in a sting operation with city police that led to the arrest of four persons on Dec. 18.

Ziel received the Service Commendation Medal for his actions in subduing two male students who were fighting on the third floor of the college’s East Building. Before any other officers arrived, Zeal had subdued both students and brought the situation under control.

Sgt. Luz Diaz received an Outstanding Service award for assisting in a triple arrest.

Excellent Attendance Awards were presented to Lt. Michelle Ingram, Sgt. Montgomery, Cpl. Thomas Rodriguez, and Officers Phillipa Bruce, Bennie Cleveland, Thomas Crehore, Henry Davis, William Denizard, Florence Gibson, Mitchell Jackson, Kevin Jacob, Rabindranath Kalapnauth, William Manas, Dominic Ojevwe, Desmond Richards, Wayne Sibblies and Tracy Wright.