10/17/2014
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Bringing life-saving jolt to area highways propels Potlatch’s Winther to Safety Person of the Year award
LEWISTON - For bringing life-saving skills and a jolt of stabilizing electricity to the district and area drivers, Potlatch’s Ty Winther has been named the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Safety Person of the Year.
Winther, a senior transportation technician at the ITD Potlatch Maintenance Shed, is also an emergency medical technician and a volunteer with the Potlatch Rural Fire Department. Winther has translated those skills into learning opportunities for his District 2 colleagues that focus on first aid, CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) safety courses. He often is an instructor for the class.
He successfully secured an AED device for the Potlatch maintenance crew
for use during medical emergencies on Idaho roadways. Thanks to Winther,
12 defibrillators are now spread among 14 maintenance sheds serving the
area.
Twelve hundred dollars — the average price of a defibrillator — is a small price to pay for a life saved.
Click here for photo 1 of Ty Winther and wife Meghan, and photo 2 showing the Winthers and ITD Chief Operations Officer Jim Carpenter.
“Ty has brought a lot of common sense and practical safety skills to the district and everyone is receptive to Ty and the knowledge he brings,” said D2 Moscow-area Foreman Bud Converse, Winther’s supervisor.
Winther uses real-life examples and scenarios in his training sessions that include responding to an accident scene or performing CPR on a crash victim.
“Our crew wants to understand how to respond in these situations in a straightforward way,” Winther said. Not everyone is cut out for it, he said, but they can serve an equally important function elsewhere. When time is of the essence, there might not be time to waste.
“Ty is one of those unassuming guys that you can depend on for anything and everything,” said District 2 Engineering Manager Doral Hoff. “He’s always striving to make it better — whether it involves optimizing equipment or operating conditions and procedures.”
“He’s level-headed and maintains composure under stressful situations,” Hoff added.
Winther was recognized in a ceremony in Boise in a meeting of the Idaho Transportation Board Oct. 15. He has been with ITD since 2003, serving all but the last two years in Lewiston.
ITD maintains nearly 1,500 lane miles of road in the five-county area served by District 2, which is headquartered in Lewiston, about 50 miles from Potlatch.
“In an emergency, having Ty in the vicinity is going to be a blessing for all involved,” said District 2 Safety/Compliance Officer Mike Ahlers.