SURREY, B.C. — The people Surrey and communities across British Columbia depend on during their most difficult moments were celebrated Saturday night as first responders, community leaders, elected officials and families gathered for the Dwivedi Foundation’s 2026 First Responders Gala and Awards Night.
Held on September 12, 2026, at the Reflections Banquet & Convention Centre in Surrey, the annual gala recognized police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency-service professionals for their courage, dedication and commitment to public safety.
Surrey MLAs Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey City Centre, and Garry Begg, MLA for Surrey-Guildford, participated in the evening’s award presentations, helping recognize first responders whose service has made an impact on their communities.
The gala has become an annual opportunity to recognize people who routinely work in demanding, high-pressure and sometimes dangerous circumstances to protect and assist others.
For the people attending, however, the evening was about more than uniforms, medals and awards.
It was about recognizing the individuals behind the emergency response.
Recognizing the people behind the uniforms
First responders are often encountered by the public during moments of crisis.
Police officers respond when communities need protection. Firefighters enter dangerous environments when others are trying to get out. Paramedics provide care when every second matters.
Their work can involve long hours, difficult decisions and repeated exposure to traumatic situations.
The Dwivedi Foundation’s awards program recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, professionalism and service beyond the normal scope of duty.
Recipients and nominees are recognized for qualities including integrity, dedication to public service, leadership in their field and positive contributions to the communities they serve.
The participation of Shah and Begg in the awards presentations provided an opportunity for Surrey’s elected representatives to publicly acknowledge those contributions.
A reminder that first responders need support too
While the gala celebrated achievements in public safety, the evening also brought attention to an issue that can be harder to see: the mental-health impact of frontline work.
First responders can experience traumatic incidents throughout their careers, and those experiences can have lasting effects.
The Dwivedi Foundation has made post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) awareness and mental-health support an important part of its mission.
The organization advocates for greater understanding of the challenges first responders can face and for reducing the stigma associated with seeking help.
The message is particularly important in professions where workers are often expected to remain calm and strong in situations where others may be frightened or overwhelmed.
Supporting first responders, therefore, means more than thanking them after an emergency.
It also means making sure they have access to understanding, compassion and support when they need it themselves.
MLA Amna Shah joins award presentations
Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey City Centre, was among those participating in the evening’s recognition of first responders.
Her participation highlighted the connection between Surrey’s elected representatives and the frontline professionals serving residents throughout the community.
The awards provided a public platform to recognize the dedication of first responders and acknowledge the personal sacrifices that can accompany careers in policing, firefighting, paramedicine and emergency services.
For families and community members attending the event, the evening also provided an opportunity to show appreciation for professionals whose work often takes them away from their own families during evenings, weekends and holidays.
Building the next generation of public-safety professionals
The Dwivedi Foundation’s work extends beyond its annual gala.
The organization also provides educational scholarships to support students pursuing careers in policing, firefighting, paramedicine and related areas of public service.
The scholarships are intended to encourage the next generation of community-minded professionals to enter careers focused on public safety and service.
That creates a connection between the people being honoured today and those who may one day wear the uniform themselves.
Remembering fallen officers and supporting families
The gala also reflects the Dwivedi Foundation’s partnership with the Police & Peace Officers’ Memorial Ribbon Society.
That partnership adds another important dimension to the event by recognizing police and peace officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities.
It also recognizes the families who continue to live with those losses.
Together, the organizations emphasize several interconnected priorities: recognizing those currently serving, remembering those who did not return home, supporting first responders and their families, promoting mental-health awareness and encouraging future generations to enter public-safety careers.
Surrey community comes together
The First Responders Gala brought together first responders, elected officials, community leaders and families in an evening centred on appreciation and service.
For Surrey, where police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency personnel play an important role in everyday life, the gathering offered an opportunity to say thank you away from the urgency of an emergency call.
The evening also underscored the importance of seeing first responders as people, not simply as the uniforms they wear.
They have families, personal experiences and their own challenges — including the psychological impact that can accompany repeated exposure to emergencies and trauma.
More than an awards night
The 2026 First Responders Gala served as both a celebration and a reminder.
It celebrated the courage and professionalism of people who have chosen careers dedicated to helping others.
But it also reinforced the importance of supporting those same people when the pressures of the job continue after the emergency is over.
Behind every police response, fire call or medical emergency is an individual who has chosen to serve.
The Dwivedi Foundation’s annual gala gave Surrey and the wider British Columbia community an opportunity to recognize that service, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and highlight the importance of mental-health support for those on the frontline.
For the first responders honoured during the evening, the message from the community was simple: their service matters, their sacrifices matter and the people behind the uniform matter too.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
