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Lieutenant Governor Awards Medals For Bravery
TORONTO, Nov. 21 /CNW/ -
NEWS
Four firefighters and six police officers are the recipients of Ontario's
top honours for bravery.
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Honourable David C. Onley
(http://www.lt.gov.on.ca/En/home.htm) invested the recipients with medals at a
Queen's Park ceremony today as Minister of Community Safety and Correctional
Services Rick Bartolucci
(http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about_min/bio.html) read out each name
and spoke of their act of bravery. These medals are the province's highest
award in recognition of firefighters and police officers whose actions
demonstrate outstanding courage and bravery in the line of duty.
The recipients of the Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery are:
<<
- Lieutenant John Chatterton of the Ottawa Fire Services
- Firefighter Les O'Neill of the North Middlesex Fire Department
- Firefighter Steven Reynolds of the Milton Fire Department
- Firefighter Michael Sophocleous of the London Fire Department
The recipients of the Ontario Medal for Police Bravery are:
- Constables Jennifer Anderson and Mark Tan of the Toronto Police
Service
- Constable Patrick Benoit of the Kingston Police
- Constable Jason Griffiths of the York Regional Police
- Provincial Constable Darrell Wagner of the Ontario Provincial Police,
Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment
- Sergeant Bryant Wood of the Port Hope Police Service
>>
QUOTES
"The medals for bravery remind us of the courage and dedication of those
who serve in police and fire services across the province, that every day,
these brave men and women face extraordinary dangers, to keep our communities
safe," said Lieutenant Governor Onley.
"It's a great honour to celebrate the bravery and courage of firefighters
and police officers who risk their lives to protect us," said Minister
Bartolucci. "Ontario is one of the safest jurisdictions in the world, thanks
to the selfless dedication and outstanding heroism of our firefighters and
police officers."
<<
QUICK FACTS
- A total of 179 Ontario Medals for Firefighter Bravery have been
awarded since 1976, and 201 Ontario Medals for Police Bravery have
been awarded since 1975.
- An independent body of citizens representing all regions of Ontario
determines medal recipients.
LEARN MORE
Read more about The Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery
(http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/honours/firefighter/) and The
Ontario Medal for Police Bravery
(http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/honours/police/).
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BACKGROUNDER
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THE ONTARIO MEDAL FOR FIREFIGHTER BRAVERY
The Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery was created in 1976 and is
awarded annually.
Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery Recipients:
Lieutenant John Chatterton
Ottawa Fire Services
Just after noon on February 12, 2007, firefighters from the Fire Station
11 D Platoon were headed for drill practice when an alarm came in from a home
on Forward Avenue in Ottawa. Arriving first on the scene, Lieutenant
Chatterton and his crew went into the house to search for anyone left inside.
A light smoky haze wafted through the home. As the crew moved quickly through
the house, they determined that all the occupants had left. Heading back
downstairs, the situation changed rapidly. Visibility was reduced to zero. The
smoke and heat became so intense, they knew they had to get out. Disoriented
by the heavy smoke and feeling the burn from the extreme heat, Lieutenant
Chatterton led his crew upstairs to a third floor room where he remembered
there was a window and told firefighters the only way out was for them to jump
to safety. Lieutenant Chatterton ensured his crew were first to leave the
building. Knowing someone could be seriously injured if he landed on them, he
waited for his crew to be cleared from the landing zone before he finally
jumped. As a result, he suffered second-degree burns. Lieutenant Chatterton's
selfless act of remaining in the unbearable heat while his crew was removed to
safety exemplifies his leadership and courage.
Firefighter Les O'Neill
North Middlesex Fire Department
Volunteer firefighter Les O'Neill was already at work at a cement plant in
Parkhill in the early morning hours of November 7, 2007, when he heard an
alarm had been received by the nearby Parkhill Station of the North Middlesex
Fire Department. Firefighter O'Neill responded immediately to the scene just
two streets over where he discovered thick black smoke coming out of the
house. Several bystanders told him an elderly woman might still be trapped
inside. Although O'Neill's fire gear had not arrived yet, he did not hesitate
to put his life on the line. Forcing the rear door open, he found the house
filled with heavy smoke and blistering heat. Once inside, O'Neill searched
until he found an elderly person lying on the floor. He pulled the victim out
of the burning house and laid her on the ground. Paramedics arrived on the
scene shortly after and tried to revive the 91-year-old woman. Sadly, she was
later pronounced dead. Firefighter O'Neill showed boundless courage when he
attempted to save the life of this victim without regard for his own life.
Firefighter Steven Reynolds
Milton Fire Department
On Sunday evening, December 2, 2007, off duty Firefighter Steve Reynolds
was filling up at a service centre in Milton when he spotted a woman calling
for help near the parking lot. Firefighter Reynolds approached the distraught
woman and noticed she was holding a samurai sword. He asked her to put the
sword down and then she quickly became aggressive. He ran inside the gas
station to call 911 and he held the doors closed but she used the sword to
break the glass windows and doors and get inside. She walked toward the two
attendants, giving Firefighter Reynolds an opportunity to prevent her attack
from behind. Although she quickly spun around and cut his arm severely,
Firefighter Reynolds pinned her against the counter giving the attendants a
chance to take over and restrain her until the police arrived. Without doubt,
Firefighter Reynolds saved the two attendants' lives despite his injury.
Firefighter Michael Sophocleous
London Fire Department
A three-storey walk-up apartment building in London caught fire in the
early hours of December 9, 2007. Police on scene reported that the building
had been evacuated and all the occupants were out. Tenants on all floors were
accounted for with the exception of a woman who called the fire department to
say she was trapped in the apartment directly above the fire. Through the
heavy smoke, Firefighter Sophocleous spotted her at a window. With a 12-foot
ladder in hand, Firefighter Sophocleous was forced to step over a three-foot
fence to get into position where he could rescue the woman. After he climbed
over the fence, he landed in a shallow hollow filled with snow, stumbled and
fell, injuring his shoulder. Undeterred by the pain, Firefighter Sophocleous
regained his foothold, set the ladder in position and climbed up to the window
where the woman was last seen. Despite suffering from what was later diagnosed
as a broken left shoulder, Firefighter Sophocleous persevered in his rescue
efforts and successfully removed the trapped woman and brought her to safety.
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BACKGROUNDER
THE ONTARIO MEDAL FOR POLICE BRAVERY
The Ontario Medal for Police Bravery was created in 1975 and is awarded
annually.
Ontario Medal for Police Bravery Recipients:
Constables Jennifer Anderson and Mark Tan
Toronto Police Service
On Sunday, December 10, 2006, at around 3 p.m., five boys were on their
way to play a game of soccer at a field near a large water reservoir partly
covered with ice in the area of Morningside Avenue and Old Finch Avenue in
Toronto. One of the boys ventured on the ice when it gave way, plunging him
into the frigid water. One of his friends rushed to rescue him but the icy
surface broke beneath him and he also fell into the water. Nearby, a man
witnessed the incident from his backyard and called 911. Minutes later,
Constable Jennifer Anderson and Constable Mark Tan arrived at the reservoir
with other members of the emergency rescue. Scanning the scene, only one of
the two boys was still visible. Both officers started to cross the ice but it
gave way and they slid into the frigid water. Still able to stand, they used
their hands to break the ice, as they kept moving towards the boys. Suddenly
both Constable Anderson and Constable Tan stepped off a twenty-foot drop and
became fully submerged in the water. They resurfaced, and undeterred, began
swimming towards the boys who had now slipped below the surface. Both officers
dove several times attempting to rescue the boys but they were unable to find
them due to the murky conditions of the water. Tragically, the boys did not
survive the incident. Now suffering from exhaustion and hypothermia, the
officers needed assistance from their colleagues as they tried to return to
shore. Constables Anderson and Tan were transported to hospital and treated
for cuts, abrasions, hypothermia and shock.
Constable Patrick Benoit
Kingston Police
For Constable Patrick Benoit, the call of duty extends to off duty hours.
While driving on Highway 401 near Kingston around 10:15 p.m. on March 29th of
this year, he noticed a tractor-trailer weaving slightly in the right lane.
Constable Benoit had just taken the Highway 38 exit off ramp when he heard a
loud metal-on-metal noise behind him. The tractor-trailer had just struck a
large communications tower and ended up on a 30-foot high outcropping of the
Canadian Shield. The entire front of the truck was engulfed in flames when
Constable Benoit reached the crash site. He spotted the truck driver standing
on top of the 30-foot rock face.
The man seemed to be dazed and in shock and was standing dangerously close
to the flames, at risk of falling down the steep cliff in the dark. Fearing
for the truck driver's safety, Constable Benoit began scaling the rock face.
After climbing approximately 20 feet, a rock dislodged and he fell back to the
ground sustaining a cut to his hand. Undaunted, he got back up and reached the
top of the rock face. He grabbed the driver and moved him away from the flames
and the edge of the cliff just moments before the truck exploded. While
off-duty and without any equipment or assistance, Constable Benoit braved
extreme danger to save the truck driver's life.
Constable Jason Griffiths
York Regional Police
Responding to an intrusion alarm on October 17, 2005, York Regional police
officers observed a suspicious vehicle near the premises. When the officers
attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled the scene and was involved in a
collision moments later. While fleeing on foot, one man was arrested while the
two others ran away. Constable Jason Griffiths managed to corner one of the
suspects behind an industrial unit. When confronted, the man taunted him,
brandished a knife in his hand and dared the constable to shoot him. Constable
Griffiths drew his weapon and ordered the man to drop the knife. Instead, the
suspect threatened to cut his throat and stated that he already had attempted
to kill another police officer. Another constable arrived on the scene and
tried to subdue the suspect but the man raised his knife and attacked him. To
save the other officer's life, Constable Griffiths discharged his firearm,
fatally wounding the suspect.
Provincial Constable Darrell Wagner
Ontario Provincial Police, Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment
Around 8:45 p.m., on July 22, 2007, Provincial Constable Darrell Wagner
responded to a call for help by a stranded boater on the Ottawa River in the
Whitewater Region. The officer found the fisherman in a sunken boat stuck at
the edge of deadly rapids and jagged rocks. Securing the assistance of a
friend with a personal watercraft, Constable Wagner ventured to see if the
fisherman was still alive. Darkness had shrouded the scene and visibility was
reduced. Constable Wagner attempted a rope rescue. The fisherman managed to
grab it but was unable to hold onto the wet rope. He was swept into the
ferocious rapids and crashed into a rock where he was now holding on for his
life. Retrieving an inflatable tube from a nearby residence, Constable Wagner
attempted several rope rescues from the abandoned boat unsuccessfully. By this
time, the fisherman had been in the water for a couple of hours and was
exhausted from fighting the rapids. Without regard for his own safety,
Constable Wagner dove into the water with the inflatable tube, grabbed the
fisherman and rode the rapids to safe water where they were rescued. Both men
were treated for hypothermia and minor cuts and bruises. Through his quick
thinking and selfless act of bravery, Constable Wagner saved this man's life.
Sergeant Bryant Wood
Port Hope Police Service
Just before 5 a.m., on September 9, 2007, a man called 911 to report a
house fire on Sherbourne Street in Port Hope, indicating people were still
inside. Sergeant Bryant Wood arrived on scene first and witnessed that the
building was already fully engulfed in flames from the ground to the roof.
Through the dense smoke, some people were observed inside and appeared
incoherent. A girl and a woman were quickly pulled from a window by Sergeant
Wood and another officer and pushed to safety. A man yelled that another woman
was still inside searching for her cat. With the fire quickly worsening,
Sergeant Wood decided to enter the unit and did a room-to-room search. He
finally located the woman, picked her up and carried her into the living room
where he pushed her outside through an open window. The second floor now fully
ablaze, he finally exited to safety suffering smoke inhalation. Sergeant Wood
put his life on the line and saved this woman's life.
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For further information: Laura Blondeau, Minister's Office, (416) 325-4973; Anthony Brown, Communications Branch, (416) 314-7772
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