A Chatham-Kent police officer has been recognized with an Ontario Medal for Police Bravery.
Police officials say in the early morning of May 7, 2016, Const. Fraser Curtis and his partner were responding to a call of a house fire. The exact address was unknown. Their patrol car was flagged down by a passerby who directed them to the fire and advised that someone might still be in the building. A large amount of thick black smoke was pouring from some second story windows.
Several police were on scene and attempting to gain access to the upper apartment. Curtis breached the door and entered the building alone. Although he could not see anything, he heard a person coughing from inside an apartment. It was later learned that this man had consumed large quantities of alcohol while attempting to cook something on the stove and passed out.
The apartment was quickly filling with smoke and fire. Curtis saw a small gap in the fire and crawled on the floor along the hallway. The man was conscious and lying on the floor wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, covered in soot, very intoxicated, belligerent and disoriented. He was initially confrontational with police and kept asking for the officer to let him back into his burning apartment. Curtis grabbed the man and physically carried him out of the building.
A few more minutes could have ended tragically for the victim. Const. Curtis put himself in harm’s way and entered a dangerous situation unprotected.
Yesterday, a ceremony was held at Queen’s Park in Toronto and Constable Curtis received a Medal of Bravery from Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell.
Chief Gary Conn, who was also in attendance adds, “I was very pleased to endorse and nominate Constable Fraser Curtis for the Medal of Bravery. All our officers are heroes amongst us but clearly Constable Fraser’s actions went beyond the call of duty in saving this individuals life. His actions further support and exemplify ‘why’ we chose to become police officers and enter into such an honourable vocation.”
Since 1975, 269 Ontario Medals for Police Bravery have been awarded. An independent body of citizens from the firefighting and policing communities representing all regions of Ontario determines medal recipients.
– Submitted photo
