Last month, members of the Bird team took part in a Personnel Safety Management System (PSMS) training as part of our work with ExxonMobil. The PSMS is designed to consistently deliver “safety in the moment” by more effectively managing safeguards before and during higher-risk work by proactively learning from work and building and validating the safety capacity of our combined workforce. We’re grateful to work with clients who prize safety as a core aspect of their operating model, as we do at Bird Electric.
You can read more about our commitment to safety here: https://lnkd.in/gSXeDcnT
#HurricaneHelene caused widespread devastation, but we are so proud of our crews' work on the ground to restore hundreds of thousands of utility customers’ power, with more coming very soon. We’re even more proud of the stories of exceptional heroism from our team members in the field that continue to come in. As we begin the work of responding to #HurricaneMilton, we want to shine a light on these brave Bird team members and the help they have provided in Helene’s wake.
Operations Manager Joey Adkins recently shared the story of Bird foreman Lucas Smith and his crew’s heroism while staged in Hendersonville, North Carolina. As Lucas and crew were driving to clear felled trees blocking one of our mechanics from reaching a client’s operations center, they noticed a woman standing on top of her car, trapped in the floodwaters. Lucas and his crew stopped to help the woman, but they quickly realized that her children, apparently waiting nearby, were also in urgent need of assistance. Lucas and crew took steps to secure their safety and their equipment, then positioned a digger truck and rope so they could safely navigate through the water to the stranded woman’s family – which they found to be five adults and three small children standing on top of a van behind a nearby building. Lucas, crewmember Justin Tillis and a man in the group each carried a child through the chest-deep waters. With the rope in one hand and child in the other, they fought the current and led the family back to the digger truck. The family was able to recuperate in the cab of the truck, then our crew drove them to safe ground. The entire crew -- Lucas, Justin, Brian Warren, William Medford and Wyatt Combs -- escorted the family to a nearby church, where they would be safe and warm, before returning to the original mission to clear the felled trees and free our mechanic.
Joey said, “This was a great show of character. I am proud to have these men on my team. Through the early days of this #StormRestoration, there have been many acts of compassion, kindness and heroism displayed by this entire team of Bird Electric employees.”
Last week, also near Hendersonville, a contractor named Austin from another company working alongside our team to clear trees and debris was struck on the head by an uprooted tree. Our team nearby sprung into action to stabilize and immobilize Austin with a neck collar, render initial emergency aid, and ready an emergency automated defibrillator before EMS were on the scene. According to Austin’s mother, who reached out with her thanks, “Other than some stitches and bruises, he is going to be fine.” She continued, “We can never express how thankful we are for those guys who jumped into action to save a stranger. God bless them, and all who put their safety on the line every day.”
These are just two of the stories of our compassionate #StormRestoration team members going above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you for EVERYTHING you do, team!
As we continue to gear up for another very serious storm in #HurricaneMilton, we want to take a moment to acknowledge our hardworking team for their exceptional efforts and commitment to safety in the response to #HurricaneHelene over recent days. Our crews are working tirelessly to restore power to utility customers across the southeast. These photos offer a glimpse into this crucial effort.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our team members in the field for their dedication to serving the people and communities impacted by the storms efficiently and safely. THANK YOU for your unwavering commitment!
Members of the Bird team are attending the Tennessee Vegetation Management Association's 2024 Annual Conference in Franklin, Tennessee. It begins today -- we hope to see you there!
Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g7rdcCmX
As part of the Black & Veatch family, safety for our team goes beyond a priority -- it is a core part of our operations. A few weeks ago, our team in Georgia took a few moments out of their day to hear an important safety message from Bird and Black & Veatch field leaders and emphasize the importance of always following the safety rules we live by.
Are you attending Edison Electric Institute's Fall 2024 Transmission, Distribution, Metering & Mutual Assistance Conference in Indian Wells, California? The Bird team will be there!
Stop by booth 36 and say hello. #TDMMA2024
Bird Electric and our partners are preparing for the arrival of #HurricaneHelene. We are currently staging in Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and Florida so we can begin work as soon as assistance is needed. In the meantime, if you live in an area likely to be impacted, please keep up with the latest weather conditions, information and safety recommendations in your area. #StormRestoration
Our crews were mobilized before #HurricaneFrancine made landfall, and they've been working around the clock to restore power to affected utility customers since. We're proud to share that our teams are now wrapping up their #StormRestoration work in the region. Our team has worked tirelessly, and we want to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated lineworkers for their unwavering commitment to getting power back on for our customers.
We are readying our #StormRestoration crews and preparing our partners to support utility customers in the path of Tropical Storm #Francine in case of outages. Taking steps to prepare in close coordination with our partners before the storm makes landfall allows our team to hit the ground running and restore power to affected customers as quickly as possible.
Happy #LaborDay from our hard-working team at Bird Electric! We're proud to celebrate the dedication and commitment of our team who work tirelessly on behalf of our clients and communities. Thank you for your unwavering effort and dedication to excellence. Today, we honor and recognize these hardworking men and women who help build our communities.
Check out these awesome Bird employees in the Midland, Texas area! They saw a fellow motorist in distress with a flat tire and jumped into action without hesitation. It turned out the other driver was a pregnant mother of two. Our team members quickly changed out the flat for her spare tire and sent her on her way, accepting only gratitude in return. These guys truly embody our values of safety and trust in the communities we serve, and we're proud to have them on our team!
