Adult Male Good Samaritans: Sanger residents JD Bennett and his son, James Bennett, risked their lives to rescue Alenna Rose Rosales, 11 months old at the time, and 2-year-old Paul Messiah Rosales from a burning minivan in January 2012. The children's parents were killed in the crash near Sanger.

Law Enforcement: While waiting to book an inmate into the county jail in June, Fresno police officer Richard Sorondo restrained another inmate who was attacking a correctional officer.

Fire Rescue Hero: Off-duty firefighter Kevin Buccola's quick action and leadership in November likely saved the life of a man who was suffering from a heart attack in front of a Merced gym. Buccola performed CPR and directed the gym's staff to retrieve a defibrillator used to shock the man and revive his pulse.

Community Partner: Floyd and Ione Roland have devoted their lives to feeding people in need. Last year, the Merced couple, who store food in a warehouse he built, fed 5,181 families through food boxes. That's 379,000 pounds of food. The couple -- he is 84 and she is 80 -- have been married for more than 65 years.

Health Care: Registered nurse Robert Warner helped subdue an inmate who was trying to take a gun from a correctional officer guarding him in the Community Regional Medical Center emergency department last spring. Despite being pepper-sprayed, Warner, assisting another male nurse who also was struggling with the inmate, pulled the attacker off the guard.

Military Hero: Alejos Pesina, a petty officer at Lemoore Naval Air Station, and his relatives, including his wife, Meghan, were traveling on Highway 101 to a friend's birthday party in Eureka last summer when they came upon a man and his two children injured in a crash. Pesina and his relatives provided first aid to the victims until emergency crews arrived.

Animal Rescue: Teenager Brenna Flynn raises guide dogs for the blind and is a member of Puppies with a Plan in Fresno. She cares for and trains the animals to help people in need of guide dogs.

Spirit of the American Red Cross: Pacific Gas & Electric Co. deployed about 250 workers to aid restoration efforts after Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast in October. PG&E also donated $50,000 to the Red Cross to help people affected by the storm. In addition, PG&E committed $2.5 million in 2012 to help communities in the company's service area become disaster-ready.