Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 2006-06-22
Invested on: 2006-10-13
Bruce W. Fitzsimmons, M.B.
Medal of Bravery
On January 4, 2005, Bruce Fitzsimmons rescued a man from a car that had caught fire near Cambridge, Ontario. Unsure as to whether the driver had escaped the blaze, Mr. Fitzsimmons and another motorist attempted-without success-to put the fire out. After struggling with locked doors, Mr. Fitzsimmons used a fire extinguisher to break the passenger window. He then reached inside the car and groped around through the heavy smoke until he felt the unresponsive victim, but was driven back by the heat and flames. Undeterred, he climbed into the vehicle, released the victim's seat belt and pulled him out and away from the blaze. He then returned to the vehicle and entered a third time to check for other possible occupants.