Firefighters recognized for bravery during Ottawa ceremony.
City services | November 23, 2017
Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services (MFES) firefighters were honoured today with the Governor General’s Medal of Bravery. The Right Honourable Governor General Julie Payette presented the medals at a ceremony held at Rideau Hall. Nine firefighters were recognized for their bravery during the April 2014 Thamesgate Drive industrial warehouse fire in Mississauga.
“Mississauga firefighters are among the best and the bravest men and women. On behalf of the City of Mississauga, Council and staff, we celebrate the remarkable individuals who have earned the Medal of Bravery from the Governor General of Canada,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “Every day our firefighters risk their lives to safeguard Mississauga neighbourhoods. I was the Ward 5 Councillor in April 2014 when the three-alarm fire erupted on Thamesgate Drive and engulfed a warehouse. While the building exploded, Mississauga firefighters ran into the fire and risked their lives to save their fellow firefighters and protect our community. Once again, on behalf of all Mississaugans, we recognize the ongoing leadership of Fire Chief Tim Beckett and congratulate these heroes who have rightly earned this national distinction for bravery.”
The warehouse contained unknown combustible chemical substances that caused an explosion, which injured four on-duty firefighters. These nine firefighters made up the rescue team that worked to free and treat their injured colleagues immediately after the explosion occurred.
The MFES medal recipients are:
“I am so very proud of the actions of these nine firefighters on that evening back in April 2014, when they risked their lives in the industrial fire in Malton,” said Tim Beckett, Fire Chief, MFES. “They are so deserving of the Medal of Bravery that recognizes their tireless acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.”
Learn more about the Presentation of Decorations of Bravery.
For more information about Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services, visit mississauga.ca/fire.
BACKGROUND:
The Medal of Bravery is one of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations awarded for bravery. Created in 1972 by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the medal is presented to both living and deceased individuals deemed to have performed acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.
Media Contact:
Karen Flores
Senior Communications Advisor
City of Mississauga
905-615-3200, ext. 5053
Karen.Flores@mississauga.ca
TTY: 905-896-5151