The City of Lloydminster has presented Leonard Minish with the Governor General’s Commendation for Bravery for his quick and courageous actions during a 2021 fire.
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Lloydminster Fire Rescue attended the Dec. 8 Governance and Priorities committee meeting at city hall to acknowledge the award.
The incident in question took place on the morning of Feb. 21, 2021, when a significant residential structure fire broke out in Lloyd.
“I was sleeping. The pager went off at quarter to six a.m.,” said Minish, a firefighter with Lloydminster Fire Rescue. “It sounded like it was my address, so I ran downstairs to see if my house was on fire. When I was downstairs, I noticed a glow in the cul-de-sac.
“I put on shoes, jacket and ran outside and met my neighbour to the west on the driveway. The house that was on fire was two houses down on the east.”
When he spoke to the neighbour, he told him the occupants were in the backyard. Minish, not seeing any tracks, ran towards the house and entered it.
“While I was running by the garage, the window exploded,” explained Minish. “I yelled out the homeowner’s names, they replied and I told them they had to leave the house.”
He was informed when he entered the house that the homeowners couldn’t find their dog.
“I started crawling on my hands and knees because (of) low visibility, full of smoke. I was calling for the dog’s name and while searching around, I found a dog,” he said.
He said he informed the homeowners inside the building to meet him at the front door and they were calling out each other’s names.
“They met me at the front door and I ran out. I set the dog down in the front yard and ran back in because (one of the homeowners) fell earlier and hurt her back, so I helped her exit the building,” said Minish.
Once back outside, Minish instructed his neighbour to make room for the fire trucks.
He said while he was worried about his own safety, he knew he had to try to rescue those inside the burning home.
“I was (worried), but we train high risk, high reward, but at the same time, I couldn’t live with myself knowing I didn’t try,” he said, noting if he went to the hall to respond with fire crews, the outcome could have been different.
Minish explained it was almost like he was acting on instinct.
“I know minutes count. Most people don’t die of the fire, they die of smoke inhalation,” he said. “I made the judgement call to go in there looking for them. It was almost like instinct.”
He says he wasn’t expecting to get the award.
“It was a big surprise,” said Minish. “I’m honoured just to receive the award and be given the skills and training from the Lloydminster Fire Rescue to be put to use and have a positive outcome.
“I would just like to thank the Lloydminster Fire Rescue and the chiefs, training officers and senior members and firefighters for helping me having the skills I have today.”
Lloydminster Fire Rescue Fire Chief Bill Heesing presented the item to council and said Minish stepped up without hesitation to save lives.
“He recognized the danger of the situation and proceeded without hesitation for his own safety to enter through the front door of the home and provide a courageous rescue of the two occupants and their pets,” he said.
“Firefighter Minish stepped up without, and I emphasize without hesitation, with bravery and persistence, knowing he may have been seriously injured. The risk was worth it to save another person’s life.”
Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers presented Minish with the award and was at a loss for words.
“I’m lost for words, actually, because it’s really unique. It doesn’t happen every day,” he said. “He risked his life to save two other lives and some pets. To run into someone’s burning home, having real-life experience, I can relate to a firefighter and go in without bunker gear and without having a hose and SCV. He may not have come out of there, but he did it.”
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