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Ontario honours police officers and firefighters for outstanding acts of courage

June 18, 2024, Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario government recently held an awards ceremony to honour police officers and firefighters with the Ontario Medal for Police Bravery and the Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery. The medals are awarded to police officers and firefighters who have demonstrated great courage in risking their lives to save the lives of others.

Recipients of the 2023 Ontario medals are being recognized for heroic acts, including subduing an armed assailant on a deadly rampage, removing drivers from burning vehicles, rescuing a child who was at risk of being stabbed, and/or entering a collapsed building to rescue people trapped in the debris.

“The courage these exceptional police officers and firefighters have displayed is truly remarkable,” said the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. “Each one of the recipients has gone well above and beyond their duties, and we are proud to recognize the impact of their selfless service on their communities and on our province.”

This year’s recognized police recipients are:

• Cst. Trevor Taylor of Brantford Police Service
• Cst. Lance Broderick and Cst. Dan Pinkney of the Halton Regional Police
• Det. Sergeant Sara Beck and Det. Robert Di Ianni of the Hamilton Police Service
• Cst. Matthew Tavano of the Niagara Regional Police Service
• PC Vyacheslav Biryukov of the Toronto Police Service
• Cst. Jason Causton and Cst. Chris Robb of the Waterloo Regional Police Service
• Sgt. Matt Capel-Cure of the Windsor Police Service

“Recognizing these individuals with medals for bravery is a privilege and a great honour,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “Their work is an inspiration to us all, and on behalf of the people of Ontario, I thank them for their dedication to their communities and their extraordinary acts of heroism.”