POWERGRAMS

7 "That was the scariest part," said Caton, who supervised with a wary eye remembering when he'd witnessed a tanker explode following a similar crash. "There were more than 50 people on the scene, and their safety was my responsibility. We were there more than 10 hours. The tanker remained intact and we didn't have any spillage." "As time goes on, the more I realize how fortunate I am to work for Alabama Power Company, which gives me the ability to do something I love," Caton said. "I plan to do it for as long as time allows." BRAUN'S EARLY DREAMS CAME TRUE At 3 or 4 years old, Jimmie Braun took his fi rst ride in a fi retruck in Kansas City, Missouri. That trip "sealed the deal" for Braun, birthing his lifelong love of fi refi ghting. "They came to our school, and I got my fi rst ride in that big old truck, seeing it and hearing the sirens," said the Logan Martin Hydro journeyman. "I wanted to be a fi reman when I was a li le kid." Braun, a member of Alabama Power's Emergency Response Team since 2014, is certifi ed to use an automated external defi brillator and perform CPR. "We go to training once a year at work and have once- a-month intensive training," he said. Braun helped save the life of another employee in 2015. While working at Plant Gaston in Wilsonville, Braun and four other employees performed CPR on a heart a ack victim. "We took turns doing CPR," Braun said. "A er 10 or 15 minutes, you're plumb worn out. You don't really have any concept of how time passes." Another time, a Gaston employee had a seizure, and Braun provided fi rst aid until paramedics arrived. Braun has worked at Oakman Volunteer Fire Department and Shelby County Fire Department. "My job is to keep you alive long enough for paramedics to get there," he said. "I go to wreck calls all the time and have to extricate people. We've had to use the Jaws of Life to remove people from cars 10 or 15 times. That's actually cu ing cars up on the side of the road." A er training with Alabama Power's Emergency Response and Confi ned Space Rescue teams – combined with specialized training from the fi re departments – Braun can handle most emergencies. "I'm fairly confi dent I can take care of my family, at least long enough to get them to the hospital," said Braun, who has a 22-year-old son. "I'm very big on fi re prevention. If you don't have a fi re extinguisher in your house, you need to get out, because you'll be amazed at how quickly a house can go up in fl ames." Having seen fi rsthand the devastating eff ects of a house fi re, Braun's mission is to prevent the loss of lives, families and homes in his community. "It's a lot of fun ge ing out there, pulling hoses off the truck and spraying the water," he said. "You've got to enjoy your job to do it well. I don't do it for fun or recognition. "God has you do stuff for a reason," Braun said. "God knows what's going on, and he knows you need to be in this spot at this time." Many employees assist their communities as volunteer fi refi ghters. PHOTO BY TRAE CATON

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