Michael White received the Ontario Medal for Bravery after recovering an unconscious body from a burning vehicle in a Toronto ceremony last week.
The superintendent for Lanark County Paramedic Service was closest to the call around 3:00 am on New Years Day, and knows time is critical with vehicle fires.
The vehicle had left the roadway, struck a tree, and came to rest in the front yard of a home.
White says during moments like that you aren’t thinking of anything else but doing what needs to be done.
After assessing the situation and discovering the front doors were jammed, White forced open the rear door and pulled the occupant to safety, mere moments before the fire intensified and tires began to explode.
With the help of newly arrived crew members, he began administering care to the patient as the fire grew more intense.
The individual was rushed to hospital but did later succumb to their injuries.
myFM asked White what support there is for first responders after attending such intense calls.
Fewer than 1% of Ontario’s 11,000 paramedics have ever received this medal since its inception. The LCPS have had five recipients in the past three years.
Listen to our full interview with Whyte below.
Story by Grant Deme