Former Parliamentary Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, who was hailed as a hero for his role in stopping an armed attacker in Parliament Hill last October, picked up a prestigious award for his valour in Los Angeles.

Vickers received a medal of valour from the Simon Wiesenthal Center at a ceremony in Los Angeles Tuesday night.

"I've always said this is not about me, this is about a remarkable security team," Vickers told CTV News' Tom Walters ahead of the ceremony.

Vickers is credited with playing a key role in stopping the armed attacker who gunned down a Canadian reservist in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2014.

He was appointed as Canada's ambassador to Ireland in January.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is a multi-national human rights organization focused on Holocaust research and combatting anti-Semitism.