Capt. Wade Robertson, a 22-year veteran of the Burnaby Fire Department, has been honoured with a rare Medal of Bravery for his courageous actions in saving the life of a man in a house fire.
In the early hours of the morning on March 30, 2018, Robertson responded to a structure fire in Burnaby. On arrival, he faced heavy fire conditions. A neighbour met him and told him that the resident was out of the house, so he began tasking his crew to assess the scene and prepare to attack the fire.
At this point, Robertson saw the resident run back into the home through heavy fire and smoke that encompassed the doorway. He gave chase without hesitation. Battling through smoke and flames, Robertson found the resident hanging onto an interior railing. Despite the intense heat and smoke, Robertson pried the resident's hands from the railing and carried him out to safety.
Robertson suffered some minor burns in the incident. The resident of this home was treated on site and transferred to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and burns.
“It’s truly an honour to be able to congratulate someone who so selflessly put himself in harm’s way to protect a life,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Captain Robertson went above and beyond the normal call of duty, and he is an example of the best of what B.C.’s outstanding firefighters have to offer.”
The British Columbia Firefighter Medal of Bravery is awarded to firefighters who have performed acts of courage and bravery without concern for their own personal safety. Only four such awards have been handed out by the Office of the Fire Commissioner in the last 10 years. Previous awards were handed out in 2011, 2014 and 2017.
“I’m very pleased that this Medal of Bravery has been awarded to Captain Robertson,” said Jay Brownlee, acting B.C. fire commissioner. “His actions demonstrate his dedication to duty in protecting the residents of Burnaby. Captain Robertson’s concern for the safety of this man, even at great risk to himself, is an example of what is best in the work our firefighters do.”
Quick Facts:
British Columbia Firefighter Medal of Bravery nominations must be made in writing to the fire commissioner.
The Advisory Committee on Awards and Recognition at the Office of the Fire Commissioner reviews nominations and forwards them to the fire commissioner with its recommendation for consideration.
