Georgia Magazine - January 2024 - 14

Currents
News from Georgia's electric co-ops * Compiled by Amy Schneider
EMC employees honored for lifesaving efforts
G
eorgia Electric Membership Corp. (EMC) in Tucker held
its Annual Meeting of Members on Nov. 6 at the Hyatt
Regency Savannah. Each year, Georgia EMC recognizes
outstanding efforts in safety and individual employees whose
heroic actions saved lives.
The following EMC employees earned Life Saving Awards:
* Chris Callier, Toby Clark, Justin Johnson, Juston Martin,
Aaron McDonald, Jeffrey Mensching, Nick Pandolfi,
Brennon Tyson and Todd Wainwright of Flint Energies, based
in Reynolds: Seven linemen, their supervisor and their safety
manager were returning from Georgia EMC's training center in
Smarr when they encountered a car crash near Musella. They
assisted an injured driver and kept her calm while awaiting first
responders, and they also flagged traffic along the highway.
When first responders arrived, the Flint Energies employees
helped to carefully extract the driver from her vehicle, and she
was transported by ambulance to receive emergency surgery.
* Jennifer Crowe, GreyStone Power Corp., based in Hiram:
Crowe, accounting manager at GreyStone, was eating dinner
with a friend when she heard a small child nearby choking.
She went to the child's mother and asked if she could help. She
picked up the child, who was turning red, and delivered four or
five back blows. The child was able to spit out the hot dog on
which he was choking.
* Jarred Stevens, GreyStone Power Corp.: Stevens, GreyStone's
director of safety and training, witnessed a vehicle lose control
on a remote road, strike a tree and eject the driver. He ran to the
motionless man lying in the road; the driver had sustained a
grievous head injury. Stevens administered CPR. When the man
regained consciousness but was disoriented and panicking,
Stevens spoke reassuringly to him and physically restrained him
to prevent excessive bleeding from movements. An ambulance
arrived, and the man was rushed to the hospital.
* Ken Brown, Oglethorpe Power, based in Tucker: Brown,
a production technician, was dining out with his wife in
Summerville when he saw a young man clutching his throat
and turning blue. Brown sprang into action and slapped the
choking man's back. He was preparing to perform the Heimlich
maneuver, but the back slap dislodged the food that was stuck.
The man told Brown that he had begun to choke while laughing
with friends, and they were frozen in horror and unable to
assist. In addition to the Life Saving Award, Brown was
rewarded with a free meal that night.
* Brad Poole, Oglethorpe Power: Poole, a control room
operator, was on vacation with his wife in Savannah when they
encountered a bedraggled man outside their hotel. They
decided to buy some food, socks, a poncho, toiletries and a cane
for the man, who said he had lost his memory and wandered
from home in Virginia. When they returned from shopping,
the man was outside a different hotel across the street and was
holding a box cutter, threatening to harm himself. He said he
14 Georgia Magazine January 2024
A group of Flint Energies employees was honored for rushing to assist
a driver injured in a serious car crash. Front row, from left, are Jeffrey
Mensching, Juston Martin, Todd Wainwright and Aaron McDonald;
back row, from left, are Justin Johnson, Nick Pandolfi and Brennon
Tyson. Not pictured are Toby Clark and Chris Callier.
was homeless and didn't want to be alive. Poole disarmed
him and talked with him gently while 911 was called.
* Ryan Mathis, Snapping Shoals EMC, based in Covington:
Mathis, a lineman, was on a service call to restore power at a
home where the power had been disconnected so that needed
repairs to the wiring could be made by private electricians.
When he was reconnecting the power on the pole across the
street, " it arced a little bit in my hand, " and he noticed smoke
coming from the home's attic. He reversed the connection and
determined that the electrician had cut the wire in the attic
and not connected it. Mathis called 911, ran to the house to
warn the homeowner and his son to evacuate and helped
them get their dog out safely. Firefighters arrived and
extinguished the attic fire.
The meeting also recognized EMCs that recorded no losttime
injuries and those that achieved safety accreditations.
No Lost Time awards:
* Upson EMC (Thomaston), 15 consecutive years;
* Coastal Electric Cooperative (Midway), 10 years;
* Georgia System Operations Corp. (Tucker), eight years;
* Habersham EMC (Clarkesville) and Slash Pine EMC
(Homerville), five years;
* Southern Rivers Energy (Barnesville), four years;
* Excelsior EMC (Metter) and Rayle EMC (Washington),
three years;
* Carroll EMC (Carrollton), Oconee EMC (Dudley) and
Washington EMC (Sandersville), two years; and
* Irwin EMC (Ocilla) and Oglethorpe Power, one year.
CASEY JONES PHOTOGRAPHY
Georgia Magazine - January 2024

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