Three Chilliwack firefighters were recognized recently for saving the lives of nine people from an apartment fire.
Acting captains Blake Gooch and Cory Schaeffer, plus firefighter Adam Janzen were awarded the Medal of Bravery in Ottawa in October 2024. The prestigious recognition is one of Canada’s highest honours for courage under extreme peril.
It was in the early-morning hours of July 29, 2021 when rescues happened. Crews were called to an apartment on Hazel Street, fully engulfed in flames, with several residents trapped on balconies and no time to spare.
They were facing imminent danger, and the three firefighters immediately pushed their training and skills to the limit, finding creative solutions to deploy ladders.
"Amid intense heat and chaos, three firefighters – Blake Gooch, Cory Schaeffer, and Adam Janzen – made split-second, life-saving decisions," the Chilliwack Fire Department shared on social media. "Using sheer ingenuity and courage, they created a ladder system mid-air, more than 35 feet up on a straight vertical, and carried residents to safety – pushing their bodies and skills to the limit. Their actions helped save nine lives that night."
It is not often that firefighters are handed the award.
“It is notable that out of a pool of approximately 4,200 recipients, less than 10 per cent of the Medal of Bravery are usually given to firefighters, as their acts of courage are seen as an inherent risk associated with their profession. In this case, we are told that the committee felt compelled to recognize the actions of these firefighters as something truly extraordinary, that transcended the usual expectations of their duty,” said fire chief Andy Brown.
The trio went "above and beyond to save lives and have shown what it really means to serve as firefighters with the Chilliwack Fire Department,” said Mayor Ken Popove.
“Thank you, Acting Captain Gooch, Acting Captain Schaeffer, and Firefighter Janzen, for your extraordinary acts of bravery that saved lives and for your continued service to the community," Popove said.
