Rural Missouri - March 2025 - 4

Meet the 2024 Lifesaving Awards recipients
RM | COOPERATION
Heroes Among Us
Because of the nature of the work they do, electric cooperative employees receive
extensive lifesaving training. They hope they never need these skills but are prepared to
put their training to work. The Lifesaving Award given by Missouri Electric Cooperatives
recognizes those employees who take action to save a life.
Platte-Clay Electric
Cooperative
What started as a normal
day ended as one that two
lineworkers at Platte-Clay
Electric Cooperative will never
forget. In March 2024, foreman
Jason Green and journeyman
lineman Jake Fain were headed
back to work after eating lunch.
Jake was behind the wheel and
his movements became jerky,
and he wasn't responding to
Jason's questions. Realizing the
urgency, Jason grabbed Jake's
arms and directed him to turn
off at the next road.
Jason called 911 and asked
Jake to squeeze his fingers.
He received a weak response
from Jake's left hand and no
response from the right. Medics
arrived and Jake was taken
to the hospital to be treated
for a stroke. Jake took some
time off to fully recover and has
returned to full-time duty.
Associated Electric
Cooperative
In May 2024, an employee
at Thomas Hill Energy Center
lost consciousness and fell
backward, striking his head on
the concrete floor. A coworker
called the control room, and a
medical alert was issued. The
emergency response team
arrived to administer CPR.
After he was stable, two EMTs
traveled with the employee
until he was transferred to the
county ambulance and then
airlifted to Columbia.
Thanks to a team effort
by multiple people from the
Associated Electric Cooperative
team - including Cindy
Creech, Carl Perkins, Ryan
Cupp, Clint Asbury, Chad
Stapleton, Jerret Fisher, and
Vic Levings - the employee
who experienced the medical
emergency has reached a full
recovery.
KAMO Power Electric Cooperative
In June 2024, Cody Johnson, KAMO line superintendent, was playing
a few holes of golf. On a break between rounds, Cody turned to see his
friend Randy had fallen off the golf cart and was lying on the asphalt. He
could tell Randy was having a heart attack.
Cody asked a bystander to call 911 and started chest compressions.
Around compression number eight, Randy started breathing. By the time
emergency workers arrived, he was conscious. Tests later indicated severe
blockage, which Randy had treated with open-heart bypass surgery.
4 RURAL MISSOURI | MARCH 2025
Tri-County Electric
Cooperative
In January 2024, a few crews
of lineworkers were assisting
with extensive outages due to
winter weather in Tri-County
Electric Cooperative's service
territory. The crews went to
dinner, and while a lineman
was eating a piece of steak
became lodged in his throat.
The lineman indicated he could
not breathe. One of the co-op's
linemen tried performing the
Heimlich maneuver but was
unsuccessful.
Mike Scheib, CEO of TriCounty
Electric Cooperative,
jumped in without hesitation.
He promptly performed
the Heimlich on the lineman
and successfully dislodged
the steak, which allowed the
lineman to breathe again. If it
weren't for Mike's quick thinking,
the lineman's life could
have changed in an instant.
Rural Missouri - March 2025

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