POWERGRAMS

4 Volunteers STRIVE to save lives, homes in communities by Donna Cope It's all in a day's work – and then some – for Alabama Power employees who put their lives on the line as volunteer fi refi ghters. The calls run the gamut, from fi ghting fi res at homes and businesses to fi elding medical emergencies that range from saving choking victims and people in car wrecks to giving life-saving glucose injections. Volunteers perform CPR and rescues from fi res, drownings and other crises. Many company employees don fi refi ghter helmets a er they leave their full-time jobs for the day. Such is the case of Ann Marie Smith, a Plant Miller chemical technician who has volunteered at McCollum-Midway Volunteer Fire and Rescue in Jasper for three years. Smith talked with Chief David Blanton, who is materials coordinator at Faye e Crew Headquarters, about joining his 20-member volunteer team. Smith answers medical calls about nonbreathing, chest pain, drowning and choking, as well as fi res. As a member of Miller's Medical Response Team, Smith has honed her keen abilities for handling emergencies. "We o en do whatever we can before an ambulance arrives, basic life-saving measures such as CPR, taking vital signs for blood pressure, breathing rate, oxygen levels and other basic conditions," said Smith, who is studying for dual master's degrees in public health and business administration at UAB. She and fellow fi refi ghters ensure everyone wears personal protective equipment, such as heat-resistant clothing, air packs and gloves. Early this year, she was the fi rst responder at a car wreck in Walker County. Smith ran down a steep ditch to rescue an older motorist, whose car was laying on its side. "I was pre y much si ing on top of the car to pull this man out of his car," said Smith, who has used metal cu ers and spreaders to help remove trapped passengers. "No windows would roll down. We busted out the front door passenger window and used a windshield saw to get him out of the car." The team carefully removed the man, who occasionally cried out. "He was conscious, so he told us what hurt," she said. "We put him on a backboard. You've got to try to protect the neck and back, in case someone has an injury. He was in critical condition and had pre- existing medical conditions." Smith and the team took the man to a large, open space in a nearby church parking lot. They quickly set up lights for a medivac helicopter to land. Because they didn't know the victim, there was no way to learn about his progress. "Sometimes people will come by and thank us," Smith said. "It's a good feeling to know you helped someone, whether it was calming them down while their house was burning or rescuing them from a mangled car. It's great being able to keep your community safe and keep yourself safe while doing it. We want to do everything we can to see the community continue to fl ourish." Other Plant Miller volunteer fi refi ghters include Assistant Plant Control Operator Andy Marbu for Bear Creek Fire Department, and Safety Specialist Brandon Williams for Crane Hill Communities Volunteer Fire and EMS in Cullman County. Gaston Plant Auxiliary Reid Ezekiel, Mechanic Brent Hughes, Materialman Ricky Morris and Compliance Specialist Philip Willis serve, as well as Henry Hydro Journeyman Daniel Morrison. Company volunteers include Field Service Representative (FSR) Wayne Flowers; Montgomery Fighting Fire Fighting Fire With PASSION With PASSION COMMUNITY

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