20 of those people were honoured by Western Region OPP during a special ceremony today in Owen Sound.
Four Grey Bruce residents have been hailed heros.
OPP Deputy Commissioner Chris Lewis and a representative from St. John’s Ambulance handed out the awards at Stone Tree Golf and Fitness Club in Owen Sound today.
While some of the awards honoured officers for their years of service with the force, a lot of the focus was on officers and citizens who are being recognized as heroes.
Joan Pegelo, a Durham woman, was recognized for efforts to help a woman in a car accident that happened outside of her house in January, 2007.
Pegelo used her first aid training to hold the head of the unconscious driver for 45 minutes to unblock the woman’s airway, while rescuers worked to free her from the vehicle.
Unfortunately, the woman later died, but Commissioner Lewis says this in no way diminishes Pegelo’s brave effort.
Two officers from the Bruce Peninsula detachment were also recognized for their heroic acts after saving a family of five in May of last year.
One member of the family was able to call 911 as the whole family was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning inside their trailer at a campsite in Sauble Beach.
Sergeants Mark Dudley and Mark Young responded to the call, and within minutes pulled all five family members outside the trailer until ambulance could take the family to hospital.
Sergeant Young says there was never a question of personal safety, and even though they may have broke protocol, they did what they had to do to save the family.
Sergeant Dudley says getting the recognition with an award is nice, but he feels any officer would have done the same thing in their place.
Craig Johnston, a volunteer firefighter from Arran Elderslie, was also recognized for his efforts to aid a police officer who was bitten in the leg by a dog in Paisley.
A total of 30 officers and 10 citizens were recognized at the ceremony.
Eight officers from the region were recognized with Exemplary Service Medals for 20 years of service.
Retired Staff Sergeant Mario Bartens and Sergeant Richard Rooke from Bruce Penninsula OPP, and Sgt David Roulston (Roll-ston) of Grey County OPP, were recognized with a Service Bar for 30 years of service.
South Bruce OPP Sergeant Dave Quinn has been recognized for 40 years of service.
