LANSING. At a special ceremony today in Lansing , Michigan State Police (MSP) Director Colonel Peter C. Munoz presented Trooper Joseph Rowley of the MSP Gladwin Post with the MSP Bravery Award. Rowley is credited with risking his life to save the life of another.
On Jan. 20, 2008 , Rowley responded to a house fire. Despite thick smoke and intense heat, Rowley and a Gladwin Police Department officer entered the burning home. They located a wheelchair-bound woman and carried her to safety.
Upon reviewing the circumstances of this incident, the MSP Board of Awards concluded that without Rowley’s quick and selfless actions, the wheelchair-bound woman would have perished in the fire.
Rowley, a Gladwin native, enlisted with the department in 2000, and graduated as a member of the 119 th Trooper Recruit School . Prior to transferring to the Gladwin Post in 2008, he served at the Cadillac, Gaylord and Detroit posts. He has also served as a member of the Motor Unit at the Metro North Post in Oak Park .
Rowley currently resides in Gladwin with his wife Christy, son Jayvin, and step-daughter Allyssa.