POWERGRAMS

23 SAFETY THERE'S NOTHING MORE TERRIFYING than seeing your only son turn blue before your eyes. But when that happened to Rodney "Bo" Powell, he knew he had to put aside his fear and act fast. Last year on the evening of Aug. 3, Powell and his family had begun enjoying a home-cooked meal together when he noticed his 19-year-old son, Beau, was choking and turning blue. With tears running down his face, Beau was pounding on the table, struggling with all his might to dislodge food wedged in his windpipe. Powell jumped from his chair and ran around the table to begin the Heimlich maneuver. It took three attempts to dislodge the food, Powell said. The difficulty came when Powell tried to stretch his arms around his 6-foot 5-inch son. Powell, who is nearly as tall as his son, said it was a blessing he was at home because there was no way his wife, Susan, or 22-year-old daughter, Audrey, would have had the strength for the task. "Before I hit him that third time, Beau had turned a deep purple," said Powell, line inspector, Corporate Headquarters – PD Field Forces. "I was scared to death because I was running out of options. I thought I had lost him." Beau said he was thankful for his dad's quick actions that night. "I was very relieved he was there," said Beau. "When I couldn't get the hamburger steak down, I hit the table. But Dad was already running around the table. He knew the proper steps to help in a situation like that. I gave him a real big hug after it was all said and done." Powell attributed his success to the annual compliance training he receives at Alabama Power and the instructors who teach the classes. "Those are the most valuable classes I've had since I've been at the power company," Powell said. "The Heimlich isn't as easy as it looks in the movies. You really have to jerk hard. I wouldn't have known how to do the Heimlich if it wasn't for compliance training." Powell and two other Alabama Power employees received the 2016 Presidential Award of Honor. The company's most prestigious award, it recognizes men and women who, in the past year, have saved or sustained the life of another person. Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite presented the award to Powell, Brett Arnold and Greg Coleman at a ceremony in Corporate Headquarters. "I am proud of these employees for their heroic actions," Crosswhite said. "They prove that safety doesn't end just because the shift does. It's a 24-hour commitment, both on and off the job. That is why we recognize these three gentlemen for their quick- thinking actions that, without a doubt, saved lives." ROADSIDE RESCUE Although he was tired after a long day on the job, it didn't prevent Arnold from stopping to help strangers whose lives were in jeopardy. While heading home on I-65 on Feb. 25, Arnold, electrical and wiring journeyman, Southern Division Complex, saw smoke pouring from under the hood of a car ahead of him. Arnold, who was driving his Alabama Power truck, quickly followed the other vehicle off the interstate near Verbena and parked about 100 yards in front of it. After asking the driver to open the hood, Arnold grabbed the fire extinguisher from his truck and started spraying the flames. When the extinguisher was empty, he began helping the driver's wife remove the couple's small daughter and eight-month-old baby from the car. "I carried the baby and the car seat away from the flames while the mother got the little girl out of the back seat," said Arnold, who then turned to helping the driver and his wife remove their valuables from the trunk. "The car was very involved by this time. There was smoke everywhere. The car burnt all the way down in seconds." Because it was a cold night, Arnold invited the family to sit in his warm truck while they waited for more than an hour for the fire department and paramedics to arrive. Thanks to Arnold's assistance, the family escaped the flaming car with no injuries. "I did what I hope everybody would do," said Arnold. "I pulled over that night because I could tell there were kids in the car. I would want somebody to do the same thing if it was my wife." Powell with Transmission Vice President Scott Moore. Crosswhite presents award to Arnold.

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