Comox Valley RCMP Const. Tammy Douglas is one of a select group of B.C. police officers honoured last week in Victoria as part of the Police Honours Night, marking outstanding officers throughout the province.
Lieut.-Gov. Judith Guichon and Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton presented awards to 82 officers.
In May 2012, Douglas was in the right place at the right time, when she acted quickly to remove a woman from a burning home on Topland Road.
She was making patrols up Mission Hill in Courtenay when she observed a large amount of smoke coming from the area behind Comox Valley Dodge.
Douglas found three occupants safely outside the home, however a young boy was yelling for help as his aunt was still inside. The front porch are was fully engulfed, and Douglas entered the smoke-filled home and found a woman in the back area.
She was able to safely escort the woman outside. All residents of the home, including two family dogs, escaped with minor injuries due to smoke inhalation.
Douglas was treated for smoke inhalation, but did not suffer any serious injury.
"Const. Douglas exemplifies the dedication and commitment to duty that so many of my officers hold," said Chief Supt. Randy Wilson, officer in charge of the RCMP on Vancouver Island at the time.
"I take great pride in knowing that Tammy's selfless actions ensured that nobody was seriously injured or killed in this fire. The communities in the Comox Valley are well served by Tammy and her colleagues, who do not hesitate to put themselves in harms way for the safety and well being of their citizens.”
In all, about 9,000 members of RCMP, independent municipal, First Nations and transit police services deliver policing throughout B.C.
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