Davey Tree Flipbooks

22 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | July/August 2026 After a Davey utility arborist made contact with a live powerline, Bailey Parsons, Easton Elson and their team immediately came to the rescue. "We were able to act quickly and promptly due to the crew members all keeping calm in an emergency situation with the emergency preparedness training we've had, and we worked as a team to ensure a safe, prompt rescue," Elson, apprentice, Vancouver Utility, Davey Tree Expert Co. of Cana- da, Limited, said. As the arborist was ascending a tree, their work positioning lanyard had swung and tapped the live line. Parsons and Elson had followed procedure and immediately called BC Hydro's emergency line, the Davey Canada safety team and 911. Once they confi rmed the line was de-energized and grounded, they were able to get their rescue climber up the tree to safely get the utility arborist back down the tree. The employee, who was injured in the situation, was able to heal well, make a great recovery and is now back to work. CREW MEMBER SAVED DURING LIVE POWERLINE INTERACTION The wind had been bad all week as Ben Shaffer was driving his work truck on the highway in Lima, Ohio, but this particular day, the wind had gotten much worse. When his car got hit by a strong gust of wind, he saw a semi truck's back end start to tip to the right and then completely fl ip on its side behind him. Shaffer, fi eld technician, Utility Asset Management, Davey Resource Group, said his natural instincts to help kicked in, so he turned his car around and got to the Ben Shaffer UAM TECHNICIAN HELPS DRIVER OF TIPPED-OVER TRUCK "I felt Davey has done a great job at training us as well as providing us with opportunities to advance our skills, which played a crucial role in this situation for us to act quickly and safely," Parsons, apprentice, Vancouver Utility, Davey Cana- da, said. "I feel we executed Davey's values in this situation correctly. We were able to safely perform an aerial rescue and get our coworker out of harm's way." Easton Elson driver as fast as possible. By the time Shaffer reached the truck, the driver had smashed through a window, stumbled out of the truck, went to his knees and held his arm. The driver's arm was bleeding badly, Shaffer said, and he could see multiple gashes and glass stuck in his arm. Another person who witnessed the situation had called 911. Shaffer grabbed a fi rst aid kit, moved the driver inside his car to get him out of the gusty winds, called the driver's family and fastened a makeshift tourniquet with a piece of the driver's discarded shirt. Paramedics and fi refi ghters then arrived on the scene, and Shaffer waited until the driver got safely into the ambulance and his truck was towed away. "We see all kinds of crazy things on the job, so events like this teach us to always have a good idea of our surroundings and the dangers that come with it," Shaffer said. "As we say, 'Be your brother's keeper and get them home safe.' Davey preaches safe practices and work ways, and I believe you can take a lot of that teaching into everyday life and be successful and safe. Through all the things Davey does to help and for the community it only makes sense for me to want to do the same — it becomes natural." Bailey Parsons Shaffer helped stop the bleeding of driver of a crashed semi truck near Lima, Ohio. INTEGRITY

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