Sometimes in the most dangerous of situations, ordinary people will step in to save lives.  

Today several of those people from our area were honoured in Ottawa for their bravery.  On Jan. 19, 2009, fire destroyed the Muskoka Heights Retirement Residence in Orillia. It happened unexpectedly and spread quickly, and four seniors died.

“There was nothing to indicate we're in any kind of trouble. At 6:05 p.m. my life, my career changed,” says Denise Collins.

She was the only attendant working in the home that night, and risked her own life  to rescue nine residents from the burning building.

“When something like that happens you don't have time to think. The adrenaline kicks in you just do what you have to do to calm the situation,” she says.

Today Collins was awarded the Governor General's Decoration for Bravery for saving the lives of those residents. Collins still struggles with what happened that day but says this medal will help her move forward.

“Receiving my medal of bravery gives me closure because I still suffer with nightmares,” she says.

“I am proud that I got to save nine people and had I been able to I would of saved more but I was one person.”

Today’s ceremony recognized dozens of people who risked their lives to save others, including OPP Sgt. John Jorgenson and Alexander Robertson from Bracebridge. They and another man, David Simpson, rescued a woman from a burning vehicle two years ago.

“That time we heard the smash but it automatically burst into flames. I have never been to one where the flames 12-to-15 feet in the air,” says Jorgenson.

He was off-duty when he rushed over to help the woman trapped in the burning car.

“I had hard time getting the seat belt off,” he says. “I couldn't get her in the back seat. It’s a small vehicle and I thought I would get a rock to smash the window.”

The three men were able to smash the window with a rock and free the woman from the intense heat and flames, seconds before the car became was engulfed.

Shawn Doyle from Alliston and James Haden from Aurora also received bravery medals today.

The two men and Canadian Pacific Railway Const. Gerard Robineau rescued an injured co-worker at a CP Rail yard in Vaughan when a valve exploded on a rail car, spewing a dangerous chemical everywhere.

And Elijah Rumleski-Bosivert was the youngest recipient today. Two years ago, he saved his uncle from drowning in a river.

Elijah didn't know how to swim but manage to pull his uncle to shore in the waist-deep water. The Bradford boy was only 10 years old at the time.

Today 42 Canadians received the Governor General's Decoration for Bravery. They come from all walks of life and most will tell you they are not heroes, but did what they thought was right and would do it again.