Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 22, 2006
• Invested on: October 13, 2006

Richard Earl Hearns, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On July 29, 2004, Richard Hearns saved two people from a fiery death in Welland, Ontario. Mr. Hearns was in his living room when he noticed that the adjoining townhouse was ablaze. He immediately ran to the scene and, after trying unsuccessfully to alert his neighbours to the fire, he kicked the locked door open before running upstairs to search for the occupants. When he opened the door to a bedroom that was almost entirely engulfed in flames, a wall of toxic smoke erupted and activated the fire detector. This woke one man who came out of his bedroom as Mr. Hearns was assisting another tenant out of his bedroom. In complete darkness and gasping for air, Mr. Hearns then guided both men down the stairs and outside to safety.