St. John Life-saving Awards Program

Northwest and Nunavut Territories

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St. John Life-saving Awards Program

Risking your life to save another is considered the ultimate act of selflessness. Those who do, defy the instinct for self-preservation and exhibit an inspiring spirit of generosity. St. John Ambulance believes that these acts deserve to be recognized.

Life-saving Medal of the Order of St. John

The Order of St. John first instituted an award for life-saving more than 127 years ago, in 1874. The St. John Life-saving Medal is awarded to those who, in a conspicuous act of gallantry, have endangered their lives saving or attempting to save a life. It is bestowed upon these courageous individuals by the Grand Prior on the recommendation of Grand Council of St. John.

The Life-saving Medal of the Order may be awarded in gold, silver or bronze according to the circumstances of the incident, the measure of courage displayed, the degree of resourcefulness used, the administration of first aid and the extent to which the individual’s own life was at risk during the incident. Other factors, such as fire, heights or weather conditions where significant hazards exist, assist in determining the level of the award granted.

The awarding of a St. John Life-saving Medal of the Order is rare at any level, but extremely rare at the gold level. Submissions are put forward to Grand Council from all Priories of St. John and are reviewed to determine eligibility in accordance with international regulations.

St. John Ambulance Life-saving Awards Program in Canada

The Priory of Canada established the St. John Ambulance Life-saving Awards Program over 30 years ago to acknowledge individuals or groups of individuals who have administered first aid while saving or attempting to save a life. To recognize these individuals, St. John Ambulance grants two awards at the national level by the Chancellor and one at the provincial/territorial level by the Chair of the Council.

National Awards:

Gold – recognizes individuals, or groups of individuals, who have saved or attempted to save a life through the administration of first aid knowledge and skills, where a degree of risk to life exists.

Silver – recognizes individuals, or groups of individuals, who have saved or attempted to save a life through the application of first aid knowledge and skills, where no risk to life exists.

Provincial Award:

Certificate of Commendation - Individuals who helped a casualty to a lesser degree, with or without the application of first aid, are granted a Certificate of Commendation from the Provincial/Territorial Council Chair.

Nominees need not be members of, or trained by, St. John Ambulance to be considered for this award.

The application form for the St. John Life-saving Award must be completed within one year from the date of the incident and must clearly indicate that the administration of first aid was a factor in saving or attempting to save a life.

Application forms are available on line or through your local St. John Provincial/Territorial Council or Special Centre office.

Download Life-saving Award Nomination form (PDF, 26KB)