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All newsPUD Lineman Honored for Heroism
Clallam PUD’s Lineman Sam Parks (now retired) was honored recently by the Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) with the Safety Heroism Award for his life saving actions.
Doug Nass, PUD General Manager, said, “We are incredibly proud of Sam and his life saving effort. If it were not for him that day would have turned out much differently.”
Sam Parks accepts the 2017 Safety Heroism Award from 2017 E&O Chair Catherine Simonsen (L) and 2017 E&O Safety Committee Chair Dale Benner (R). Photo courtesy of NWPPA.
Sam’s heroic efforts were first reported in a November 22, 2016, PUD press release:
“On the evening of August 29, 2016, at approximately 6:30 pm one of Clallam County PUD’s employees suffered a medical event that caused him to lose consciousness while driving home. As he crossed into oncoming traffic, he just missed one vehicle and drove into a small ditch along the road, ran through a field fence, and stopped in front of another fence.
It just so happened that Clallam County PUD Line Foreman Sam Parks was on his way home with his grandson. He was two cars behind and noticed what had happened and stopped to render help. As he approached the wrecked vehicle, he recognized the PUD employee. He automatically went into action along with others that soon arrived. The doors were locked so the windows were broken in order to get to the fellow employee. Sam did a quick check and found no heartbeat at which point he started CPR.
In an internal interview with Sam, he stated that he reacted instinctively. Two quick breaths and then the compressions. Medical aid arrived and between the two they worked on him. When the aid left for a defibrillator, Sam worked on the victim by himself. Sam and coworkers had just gone through the annual CPR/AED training as required by the District three weeks earlier.
Our employee survived and said that he owes his life to his co-worker.”
Sam Parks is the second PUD employee to receive recognition this year for heroic efforts. Joe Helvey, PUD Lineman, received the Good Samaritan Award from the Washington PUD Association in December 2016.
Read the NWPPA Press Release about Sam Parks by clicking here.