Primary Care Paramedic Kayleigh Niccols and Advanced Care Paramedic Dylan Radford – County of Simcoe Paramedic Services
On May 11, 2024, Paramedic Kayleigh Niccols and Paramedic Dylan Radford responded to a call of a two-vehicle motor collision. When they arrived, both vehicles were engulfed in flames and a bystander told them there was a child in the rear seat of one of the vehicles. At risk to their own safety, Paramedics Niccols and Radford attempted to extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher and broke the windows of the vehicle to check for a passenger in the backseat. Thankfully, there was no passenger in the rear of the vehicle.
The Ontario government is honouring paramedics from across the province with the Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery. The medal is given to paramedics who have demonstrated great courage, risking their lives to save the lives of others.
The Honourable Michael Tulloch, in his capacity as the Administrator of the Government of Ontario, and Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, will present medals to seven paramedics in a ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum today.
Recipients are recognized for their individual acts of outstanding bravery. These acts of courage include:
- Wrestling a weapon away from a patient in crisis, saving them and the first responders on the scene from harm
- Rappelling into a collapsed excavation pit to triage injured construction workers
- Providing first aid while off-duty to a neighbour who had serious stab wounds
- Attending to a head-on collision car accident while off-duty
- Removing an occupant from a car on fire
“Ontario is home to world-class paramedics who put their lives at risk every day in service of their communities,” said Minister Sylvia Jones. “These brave heroes represent the very best of Ontario and I am deeply honoured to recognize this year’s recipients of the Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery.”
While these medal recipients have been selected for their acts of extraordinary selflessness, the government recognizes that all paramedics in Ontario have a profound impact on the health and safety of people across the province and thanks them for their continued service and bravery.
