Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: February 26, 2002
• Invested on: December 09, 2002

On November 4, 2000, Firefighter Brian Baker was struck by a car while escorting a woman to her stranded vehicle during a blinding snow storm in Crossfield, Alberta. When the tow truck arrived to pull the woman's car away from the median, Firefighter Baker volunteered to escort her from his rescue van at the side of the four-lane highway back to her abandoned vehicle. With visibility hampered by the blizzard, he feared for the woman's safety and instructed her to hold onto his arm. They were halfway across the road when they found themselves directly in the path of a car travelling through the snow squall at excessive speed for the road conditions. Without hesitation and regard for his own safety, Mr. Baker pushed the woman out of harm's way. In a split second, he took the full impact and was thrown several metres. As a result of his valiant efforts, Mr. Baker suffered multiple serious injuries.