L'Isle-Verte seniors' home first responders receive bravery medal
Governor General Daniel Johnston says officers fought bitter cold and intense flames to help save seniors
Canada's governor general is recognizing 10 provincial police officers who helped rescue seniors from a burning senior-citizens residence the night of the deadly fire in l'Isle-Verte, Que.
On Monday, David Johnston awarded nine men and one woman from the Sûreté du Québec with the Medal of Bravery at his official residence inside Quebec City's Citadelle.
"On January 23, 2014, 10 police officers from the Sûreté du Québec risked their lives to rescue senior citizens who were trapped by flames during a fire at the Résidence du Havre nursing home in L'Isle-Verte, Que.," Johnston said in a written statement.
"Without any equipment, the officers braved both the extreme cold weather outside and the heat and toxic smoke filling the hallways inside the three-storey building. They acted quickly as the fire spread, with some victims trapped in their rooms or on their balconies," he said.
Thirty-two people died that night.
'The sky was orange'
Constable Myriam St-Onge, one of the recipients, said the sky was orange, and it was difficult to see the building itself.
"We were able to get in through the section of the building that wasn't on fire, but there was a lot of smoke. It was impossible to breathe. Most people were semi-autonomous. It was dark, so we had to find ways to get them out to safety quickly," she said.
Constable Pascal-Éric D'Amours said he also has flashbacks.
"When we smell a fire mixed with plastic, it's like automatic. We become hyper-vigilant, and we look everywhere to know where the fire is coming from. Maybe it's only a home furnace, but we have to make sure," he said.
D'Amours has lived in L'Isle-Verte for ten years, and he said the sight of the burnt-out ruin is a daily reminder of the 32 seniors who didn't make it out of the building.
"There's a monument for the people who died. When I go past it, there's always an emotion in my heart. It's hard. It's always there reminding us, and I'm not sure if that's good or bad."
The coroner who investigated the fire also praised the officers, saying they had worked long, painstaking hours to save people.
The award recipients are:
- Sgt. Sébastien Briand, Rivière-du-Loup
- Const. Pascal-Éric D'Amours, L'Isle-Verte
- Const. Simon Dufour, Matagami
- Sgt. Steve Duguay, Rivière-du-Loup
- Const. Mathieu Fournier, Rivière-du-Loup
- Const. Steve Guy, Cacouna
- Const. Francis Marquis, St-Fabien
- Const. Dominic Pellerin, Rimouski
- Const. Jean-François Pépin, St-Arsène
- Const. Myriam St-Onge, St-Arsène