Four Lanark County paramedics awarded for acts of bravery

Four local paramedics are being recognized for acts of exceptional courage as each has been awarded an Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery.

Bryan Pollock, Thomas Quilliam, Gordon Cobus and superintendent Janice Steele of the Lanark County Paramedic Service received their awards Thursday at a ceremony that celebrated the acts of bravery undertaken by 13 paramedics across the province in 2019 and 2020.

On March 29, 2019, Pollock and Quillam and superintendent Steele responded to a two-vehicle crash.

After having advised bystanders to evacuate the area due to a broken gas line, Pollock climbed into one of the vehicles — which had slowly begun to roll downhill — and secured it.

The patient was quickly transported from the scene, and at the same time, Quillam provided care to an unconscious woman in the vehicle.

While her team was on the scene, Steele entered the zone that was evacuated due to the gas leak to provide care for a patient.

She then personally drove the patient’s spouse to the local emergency department.

“The three paramedics were exposed to a great danger because of their exposure to a high level of natural gas,” a news release from the event detailed. “Residents later stated that the odour of natural gas could be smelled several blocks from the accident scene an hour later.”

Then on April 16, 2019, Cobus helped a team of three police officers who were providing help to a man in a mental health crisis who injured two of them.

Cobus took action to ensure the safety of the individual, himself and the officers until police took over.

“He rushed to help the three police officers without any regard to his own safety,” the statement detailed. “Paramedic Corbus has been recognized by the Ontario Provincial Police for his outstanding assistance.”