FERGUS — A year ago, a man walked into H&R Machine’s welding and fabrication shop in Fergus and looked at owner Jamie Hiller, who is also a volunteer firefighter with the Centre Wellington Fire Department.
“I think it’s a customer that's walking into the shop and I turn around and I’m like “Can I help you,?’” said Hiller.
“And he's like 'No, you already did.'”
Turns out it was the man who Hiller saved with his skills and quick thinking almost two years ago.
On Monday Hiller, who has been a volunteer firefighter for 28 years, was recognized for his life-saving actions when he received the Medal of Merit by Fire Fighters Association Ontario for exemplifying meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty.
The medal is awarded to recognize a firefighter’s response to an emergency incident where they showed good judgment and/or took a calculated risk to save a life.
On Jan. 19, 2019, Hiller, who was off-duty at the time, was driving north on Highway 6 with his daughter when a vehicle pulled out in front of them without warning.
“My vehicle was inches from his bumper because I slammed on the brakes. I would have t-boned him because I drive a truck. I would have gone right over his vehicle,” said Hiller.
He said he could see the passenger of the vehicle slumped over and leaning against his window unconscious. Shortly after, the driver’s vehicle crashed into the other side of the road into a snowbank.
After making several attempts to communicate with the driver, Hiller stopped an oncoming snowplow and asked the operator to call 911.
Understanding the severity of the situation, Hiller smashed out the rear passenger window, crawled inside the vehicle, put the vehicle in the park position and unlocked the driver's side door.
After climbing out of the window, Hiller conducted a quick assessment of the driver and realized he was without vital signs and so he pulled the driver away from the vehicle and performed CPR.
When the paramedics arrived on the scene, Hiller joined Guelph Wellington EMS inside the ambulance and continued to perform CPR.
When the driver was taken to St. Mary's Hospital Cardiac Unit in Kitchener, the doctors told his family that the only reason he was alive was because of Hiller’s quick actions to save his life.
“It’s an honour to be recognized. It was just a natural instinct what I did,” said the 51-year-old Hiller.
Hiller said his skills and training as a firefighter keeps him vigilant at all times.
“I’ve been in McDonald's and people know I’m a firefighter and they've seen something and they come right up to me and they’re like ‘Jamie I think something is going on with so and so,’” said Hiller.
“I always have my eyes open. I’m not looking for it but I’m always vigilant.”
Hiller said in crisis situations, his top priority is safety.
“Safety is paramount. A firefighter’s job is inherently dangerous to begin with,” said Hiller.
“It's my ethics that make me say ‘You know what? I’ve got to look after other people.’”
And it wasn’t his first time responding to a crisis situation off duty. In the past five years, Hiller was a part of three off duty rescues and coincidentally, his now 16 year-old-daughter was in the car with him during all three rescues.
Hiller responded to a crisis scene as an off-duty firefighter three years ago where he was pulling out of a Tim Hortons’ and saw a few girls run a red light.
“Their vehicle was t-boned and rolled several times. I actually had to put my car in reverse because it was rolling toward me,” said Hiller.
Basically, the vehicle was on its side, I could hear the girls screaming. One of the girls recognized my voice, she started calling my name out. I’m friends with her father.”
After climbing on top of the vehicle and smashing the passenger window, he held the two girls in an upright position and called for help.
Not long after that incident, Hiller responded to another very serious car accident, again with two girls trapped in a vehicle after a collision with a garbage truck.
“I went straight into firefighter mode. I went over there again. I didn't have the tools with me to smash the window this time so went back to my truck and pulled the hitch off my truck and used that to smash the window,” said Hiller adding that the two girls did survive.
Hiller said the incident on Jan. 19, 2019 hit particularly close to home.
“The gentleman I did CPR on was my captain’s neighbour,” said Hiller.
Hiller said while he left the scene without giving any of his information, the family of the man Hiller did CPR on contacted the fire department to find the name of the person who saved him.
The district chief called me up saying ‘I think you’re going to have visitors,’” said Hiller who was later greeted by the man in his shop.
“First thing he did was give me a big hug,” said Hiller.
When he entered his shop months later, doing much better, Hiller didn’t even recognize him.
“And I’m like wow. ‘You look a lot better than the last time I saw you,’” said Hiller about the driver who had suffered a heart attack at the accident.
“He's doing great. He’s gotten excellent care at St. Mary’s.”
Hiller said saving the man’s life took a group effort.
“It was just lucky that I was there at the beginning to initiate CPR so quickly. It just basically shows the importance that everyone should know CPR,” said Hiller.
