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Two Grant County PUD Employees Receive Governor’s Lifesaving Award
September 28, 2007
EPHRATA, WA – Everyone hopes a Good Samaritan with safety training heroically jumps in during an emergency. This week two Grant County PUD maintenance servicemen were honored by Governor Christine Gregoire for providing lifesaving assistance to victims of a June accident on Dodson Road.
R. J. Fronsman and Josh Noga received the Governor’s Lifesaving Award during the opening session of the 56th Annual Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center on September 26, 2007. Speaking on behalf of the governor, who was unexpectedly called away, Judy Schurke, director of the Department of Labor and Industries, praised each of the 43 recipients for stepping out of their typical routine to help strangers and colleagues in life-threatening situations ranging from heart attacks and near-drownings to auto accidents and other perils.
Fronsman and Noga were traveling north on Dodson Road when an oncoming vehicle, traveling at high speed, veered toward their Grant PUD service truck. Noga narrowly avoided a head-on collision with the car by taking the truck to the ditch. Fronsman was grateful for Noga’s swift response.
“I just held on – neither of us said a thing. There was no time to communicate. Josh did a great job of keeping us out of the impact and not rolling the truck. He jerked it over and held it steady right into the ditch,” said Fronsman after the accident.
The car with four occupants hurtled across the road into a row of poplar trees on the east side of the road. Noga recalled the moment he realized avoiding the crash was not the end of their work, “I can remember looking my mirror to see their car shoot off the road, and I thought, ‘Oh no, here we go.’”
Both men jumped out of the truck with first aid supplies to assist the victims. “It’s amazing how the first aid training kicks in,” shared Fronsman. We got out and immediately ran back to their car. Then we both calmed down and started going through the steps of what needed to be done.” Their actions may have saved the life of the most seriously injured victim who was later airlifted from the scene.
Recognizing the proactive efforts of employers, Schurke commended organizations such as Grant County PUD who prioritize safety on the worksite. Calling all such employers lifesavers, she emphasized how employers providing safe work environments save lives every day.
Safety and Health is a guiding principle in Grant PUD’s Strategic Plan. Along with other employees, Noga and Fronsman receive ongoing training and education to promote safety. “We are extremely proud of Josh and R. J.,” noted Gale Ham, Grant PUD Safety and Health manager, “not only did they put their first aid training to use, but they did so willingly and without hesitation. Grant PUD provides training for its employees with the goal of providing the safest work environment possible. Although this safety training may focus on the work environment, it can and does have an affect outside the utility as was dramatically demonstrated by the actions of R. J. and Josh.”
As for the attention they have received since the accident, Fronsman and Noga both are low-key; preferring to focus on their work maintaining numerous Grant PUD work sites over interviews and photo sessions.
“We offered our help because it was the right thing to do,” says Noga. “We’ve been trained in first aid response. We’re honored to receive this award from the governor and appreciate the recognition.”
You can learn more about the Governor’s Lifesaving Award at www.wagovconf.org
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Grant County Public Utility District is a Washington state municipal corporation that began electric service in 1942. Owned by the people it serves, Grant PUD generates and sells electricity to Grant County residents and millions of customers throughout Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest. The Priest Rapids Project, comprised of Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams, produces nearly 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable and reliable electricity – enough to supply a city the size of Seattle. A leader in science based technology; Grant PUD is committed to finding effective measures for the protection, mitigation and enhancement of salmon, steelhead and other natural and cultural resources.
Director of the Department of Labor and Industries Judy Schurke presents Lifesaving Awards to Josh Noga and R. J. Fronsman at the Safety and Health Conference
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dorothy Harris
(509) 793-1516 / dharris@gcpud.org |
