Star of Courage

• Awarded on: December 18, 1996
• Invested on: June 16, 1997

On January 6, 1996, Cst. Graham of the Barrie City Police rescued two men from a rooming house fire in Barrie, Ontario. First at the scene, Cst. Graham was alerted by two residents who had escaped the blaze that others were still inside. He radioed for help and raced into the burning building. He crawled up a smoke-filled stairwell, found a disoriented man and dragged him to safety. Hearing cries for help, he re-entered the house several times, yelling and banging on doors to alert remaining residents. Each time, the black smoke, intense heat and fast advancing flames forced him to retreat. Undeterred, Cst. Graham ran to the back of the house where he found a man standing at the door of his apartment, reluctant to leave. Cst. Graham helped him to safety just as the fire trucks and ambulances arrived. Although the rooming house was totally destroyed, there was no loss of life.