Five sanitation workers in the Mohawk Valley were recognized Tuesday by state Senator Joe Griffo for their lifesaving efforts.

The senator presented them with Liberty Medals, the highest civilian honor a New Yorker can receive.

Griffo says Shawn Reesh and Joseph Phillips were riding on a garbage truck in New Hartford on May 11, when they saw fire and smoke coming from a garage.

Reesh tried to extinguish the fire as Phillips banged on the front door. The family got out of the home before the fire spread.

Adam Sheldon, Beau Haden and Daniel Cruz also received an award for a different incident. Griffo says they were on a route in Utica on May 12, and saw smoke coming from a home.

They called 911 and woke up the residents, who were able to safely depart the premises before firefighters arrived.

For some, the weight of their actions didn't immediately sink in. A few said they were just at the right place at the right time.

"We stayed for probably about an hour after that, giving reports and stuff like that, and then just continued doing our job," said Reesh, a sanitation worker.

"It means a lot," said Sheldon, a garbage truck driver. "It's nice to be recognized for something that you just did because it was the right thing to do. It's nice to know that people recognize it."