Our Dawson Road Maintenance (DRM) team is Service Area (SA) 22 has endorsed our Core Value of People First throughout the first quarter of 2023.
Looking in the mirror, SA 22 realized that they had the capability to do better job looking after one another at work and in the community.
Some of that reflection was a result of some real-life perspective the team endured when one of their colleagues experienced a life-threatening health issue during the winter. That individual needed surgery and was faced with an expensive road to recovery. The team rallied around that employee and through a silent auction, raised enough money to cover the costs of the procedure.
“It has been an incredible journey to see how far we have come as a group over the last few years. I am positive that we will continue to make huge steps and improvements in this area as we move forward as a team,” said Michael Lacey, Mechanical Superintendent. “The work this team has done has not gone unnoticed. I hope we can all keep it up. I would also like to give a special shoutout and thank you to Lawrence Turcotte, Darcy Collins and Danny Meek for their commitment to the community and this company.”
Looking after People First has also extended beyond the shop’s four walls and into the community.
Whether it was aiding injured passengers from a motor vehicle incident or helping move vehicles stranded in the middle of a road, DRM hasn’t hesitated to get involved. They have even responded to a few friendly public communication records from the elderly to sweep their driveway.
As many of you might have heard, northern Alberta was recently dealing with significant wildfires, causing thousands to be evacuated from their homes. Those fires were creeping towards the provincial border and SA 22. The seasonal change from drier than usual winter to spring happened uncharacteristically quick for this time of year, which led to the start of numerous fires across SA 22. Devoted to serving People First, DRM didn’t hesitate to keep the community, families and everyone’s safety the top priority. DRM supported the fire fighters’ efforts with tankers, manpower on the ground and mechanical aid.
Minutes before midnight on Friday, May 5, an evacuation notice went out in the Clayhurst and Goodlow area. Phone calls, texts and emails went out to our team, seeing if anyone was available to help the evacuees. Employees travelled from Fort St. John, Dawson and other surrounding areas show up in the middle of the night to help the hundreds of evacuees. Our DRM crew was even on the front line, using their water trucks and hoses to try to put out the fire before it entered one of the nearby forests. DRM’s support assisted in the containing of the fires.
These stories are just two of the many People First initiatives that DRM SA 22 has contributed to this year. Lacey stated that his team has no plans to scale back their People First way of thinking anytime soon.