The Ontario Medal For Firefighter Bravery - Backgrounder

The Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery was created in 1975 and is awarded annually.

Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery Recipients:

Firefighters Jim Gale and Mike Maier
Toronto Fire Services

The first fire crews arrived in the morning of July 20, 2008, at a high-rise apartment building on Secord Avenue in Toronto, after a resident smelled smoke coming from the basement and called 911. Rescue Captain Dan Trombley along with two firefighters were directed to the southwest stairwell leading to the underground parking level. Shortly after they got there, a powerful explosion knocked the crew to the ground, triggering a huge amount of smoke and fire around them. Two of the firefighters found their way back out to the ground level but their captain was missing. Firefighters Jim Gale and Mike Maier pulled a handline down the stairs through heavy black smoke and heat with no visibility to the parking level. Despite the flames burning 10 metres from the hydro vault, they moved forward to find their captain. When the pair could no longer pull any more hose to use for protection and a lifeline, they continued searching blindly until they finally reached Captain Trombley, who was lying on the ground, burned and disoriented. They picked him up and made it back to the exit. All three left the scene by ambulance to the hospital. Firefighters Gale and Maier remained undeterred by the extremely difficult conditions and showed boundless courage to save their captain's life.

Firefighter Jean-Philippe Mathieu
Township of Champlain Fire Services

During a heavy snowfall on the evening of November 26, 2008, the driver of a sport utility vehicle travelling on a slippery road in Champlain Township lost control and struck a pickup truck head-on. The force of the impact caused the pickup truck to continue rolling through a ditch and on across fields before coming to a halt on its roof in a partially frozen pond approximately nine metres deep. The driver ended up partially submerged in the cold water, hanging upside down and secured by her seatbelt. Volunteer Firefighter Mathieu was driving on the same road when he heard the fire dispatch requesting assistance. He was the first person to reach the scene, and, without hesitation, he rushed into the water to rescue the stranded driver who was still trapped inside her vehicle. Firefighter Mathieu was able to force the door of the pickup truck open and bring the driver back to safety.

Firefighters Mike Myers and Mike Vinall
Chatham-Kent Fire Department

The call came in early Sunday morning on May 17, 2009. A house located on Oxley Drive in Chatham was already engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived on site. The homeowner advised that everyone was safely out; however, shortly after he conveyed that he could not locate his young son. Firefighters Mike Myers and Mike Vinall entered the front door of the house, pushing the flames back with an attack line. Firefighter Myers swept the flames back, and fought to control the fire while Firefighter Vinall began to search the rooms. Suddenly, Firefighter Vinall heard a low moan coming from a room to the left. He quickly crawled into the room and found the young boy. He picked him up and made it back through the front door while Firefighter Myers was suppressing the fire around them. Moments later the entire roof came crashing down. Firefighters Vinall and Myers saved this young boy's life without regard for their own safety.