Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 2000-04-18
Invested on: 2000-12-08
On February 1, 1999, Cst. Gilbert saved a woman from a burning apartment building in Montreal, Quebec. From his patrol car, Cst. Gilbert noticed flames in the basement and thick smoke throughout the three-storey building. He attempted to extinguish the flames through a broken window but when his efforts failed, he disregarded his own safety and went inside. In choking smoke and zero visibility, he crawled up the stairs calling to the tenants and directing them towards the exit with his flashlight. When he heard a woman's frantic cries for help, he followed the sound of her voice until he touched her foot at the end of the first floor corridor. Gasping for air, he placed the disoriented woman on his back and brought her to safety.