The province is honouring paramedics with the Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery. This award is given to paramedics who performed individual acts of outstanding bravery in the face of danger.
The recipients are being recognized for their individual acts of courage, including saving a swimmer from drowning, rescuing a trapped driver from a vehicle, delivering medical treatment to a patient in a confined space and rescuing a mother and her two children from a residential fire.
Paramedics have played a critical role in Ontario’s fight against COVID-19, from conducting swabbing and testing, protecting health system and hospital capacity by supporting patient transfers, and they continue to support Ontario’s vaccine rollout, including administering vaccines to individuals who have limited mobility and cannot travel to a mass immunization clinic.
Paramedic Lucas Leggett – Muskoka Paramedic Services
On October 25, 2019, Paramedic Leggett and his partner, along with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers, responded to a report of a house fire. Upon arriving at the scene, they found a house surrounded by thick smoke with a woman holding two young children at the second story window. Paramedic Leggett and his team quickly jumped into action by assessing and checking all doors and windows to see if any of them were unlocked, which they were not. In an unsuccessful attempt to locate a ladder on the premises, Paramedic Leggett and team proceeded to the front entrance which was locked. One OPP officer broke the front window and Paramedic Leggett made his way with him through heavy smoke into the house. Together, they found the family and lowered down the children to two partners outside of the house. The Fire Department arrived shortly thereafter and was able to assist to the mother, Paramedic Leggett and the police officer with the use of a ladder. Efforts were then made to combat the fire and all occupants of the house were rescued safely including the family pet.
Paramedics Patrick Dixon and Michael Michaelis – Parry Sound District Emergency Medical Services
On July 30, 2018, Paramedics Dixon and Michaelis responded to a report of a man who was intoxicated and wandered away. The team located the patient who eventually started to cross the cement railing of a bridge. Paramedics Dixon and Michaelis worked together to ensure the safety of the individual until police services took over.