Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, presented the Medal of Bravery to Sergeant Dale Kurdziel, MB at a ceremony at Rideau Hall, on Thursday, 23 November 2017. This is Sgt Kurdziel's second Medal of Bravery. His first medal was awarded in 2014 to recognise his bravery disarming an Improvised Explosive Device in Afghanistan in 2010.
The citation reads:
On July 20, 2015, Warrant Officer John Dunbar, Corporal Alexander Keightley, Master Corporal Dale Kurdziel and Master Corporal Shawn Thorn rescued a family from their burning home in Lancaster Park, Alberta. While WO Dunbar used a ladder to retrieve one of the children from the roof, MCpl Kurdziel rushed into the smoke-filled residence to locate a second child. Accompanied by Cpl Keightley and MCpl Thorn, he entered the house again to locate the mother and moved her to safety.
WO Dunbar and MCpl Keightley were also awarded the Medal of Bravery.