Snohomish PUD employees Bill Greenfield and Tommy O’Brien received the Governor’s Lifesaving Award during the annual Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference in Tacoma earlier this week.

The Governor’s Lifesaving Award is given annually to Washington workers who have gone above and beyond in saving a life while on the job. Greenfield and O’Brien were recognized for saving a woman who was trapped outdoors in harsh winter conditions while trying to make her way to an off-grid cabin near the town of Index. The two men came upon the woman while helping to provide access for PUD line workers who were restoring power after a winter storm.

“I am incredibly proud of the heroic actions that Bill and Tommy took to rescue this woman from a life-threatening situation,” said John Haarlow, PUD General Manager/CEO. “At the PUD we value the health, safety and well-being of our employees and communities above all else. Bill and Tommy demonstrated our safety culture that day by going above and beyond to save the life of one of our community members.”

In addition to receiving extensive safety training from the PUD, Greenfield and O’Brien are both skilled outdoors people who possessed the knowledge and skills to assess and respond to the situation. Both men didn’t hesitate to use their training to save a life.

“The PUD serves the public – we get the power back on and we help people,” said Greenfield. “It’s great to have a culture that is focused on safety and where we know we’ll be supported for taking the time to do what is right.”