The quick response of two natural gas meter service technicians after witnessing a vehicle crash in Needham, Massachusetts, is a great reminder of the importance of safety training.

“When I saw the crash, I just reacted. I guess I did what anybody else would do," said Vinny Foxx, a Gas Meter Service Technician out of Hyde Park, Massachusetts, who first responded to the accident. 

“The safety trainings we take prepare you for anything, and, eventually, it becomes second nature,” added Sean Tierney, Gas Meter Service Technician, who also works out of Hyde Park and responded to the crash. 

On the morning of Feb. 2, Vinny was enroute to a service call when the SUV in front of him suddenly swerved across a lane of traffic and hit a utility pole. 

Vinny immediately pulled over and found an older woman in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. She was conscious but confused. Vinny maneuvered her out from behind the airbag and sat her down outside the vehicle to administer first aid. That's when he saw a man on the ground in front of the car who appeared to be badly injured. 

Meanwhile, Sean was just down the street on a separate service call and heard the crash. 

“It was a loud bang, and I immediately rushed over,” Sean said. “The first thing I saw was the Eversource van and then Vinny helping the driver. There was a bystander helping the pedestrian on the ground, so I called 911.” 

Sean says he worked with the bystander to put pressure on the injured man’s face to slow the bleeding. They used the materials they had — a t–shirt and a hat — until police and Emergency Medical Technicians arrived. 

“Eversource’s First Aid and Stop the Bleed training definitely came into play in this incident,” explained Robert Sacco, Supervisor of Meter Services at Hyde Park. “The training teaches you to protect yourself, protect each other and protect the public. Vinny and Sean used that training and their instincts to jump in when they had to.”

“Unfortunately, we work in a job where people can get hurt, so it never leaves the back of your mind,” Vinny said.

According to WCVB, the driver was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The pedestrian suffered serious injuries and was transported to a hospital in Boston.

“Either one of these guys could have easily driven around it as others may have or did,” Robert said. “But for these guys to jump in, use their training, and care about those we serve in our area every day speaks volumes about their character. I’m proud of them.” 

Gas safety training

Gas Operations, in partnership with Gas Safety, is constantly upgrading trainings and tools when it comes to first aid and immediate emergency response. In 2022, the Stop the Bleed program was introduced into the annual first aid/CPR program for the gas business and recently a new program was implemented where AEDs were added to a portion of the gas operations fleet. 

“I am incredibly proud of Sean and Vinny as they clearly demonstrated safety in action,” said Janet Evans, Director, Safety (Gas & Process Safety). “This is why we train all of our operations field employees in first aid and even took it a step further by incorporating the Stop the Bleed program. You never know when your actions can save a life, and this is exactly what these gentlemen did.”