City honours OC Transpo employees for acts of valour at 26th Annual Transecure Awards

_ (press release) _ Today the City of Ottawa recognized the actions of seventeen OC Transpo employees who provided safe haven or immediate intervention to members of the community in distress or experiencing an emergency.

“OC Transpo employees show their strong commitment to the safety and security of all residents of the City of Ottawa when they respond to emergency situations”, said Deputy Mayor Mark Taylor. “These employees go above and beyond the call of duty to provide aid and comfort to individuals in need. The stories we heard today show why we have many reasons to be proud of the caring and dedicated people who run our public transit.”

This year, Operator Davinder Dhanoa, Operator Christopher Bellefeuille and Supervisor Eric Belanger were named the 2015 Transecure Call of the Year award for their prompt actions when they provided assistance, without hesitation that saved the life of a colleague in need of immediate medical assistance. The assistance, care and concern demonstrated by Christopher, Davinder and Eric is another example of OC Transpo employees going above and beyond the call of duty to help someone in need.

“The Transecure Awards recognize and celebrate employees who have demonstrated courage and readiness to respond to customers and residents in need”, said Councillor Stephen Blais, Chair of the Transit Commission. “OC Transpo employees help keep our city safe by responding to calls of distress every day on top of providing safe, reliable and efficient transit service. Their dedication and professionalism clearly have a positive impact in the community we serve.”

The Transecure program is a community watch program on wheels. OC Transpo employees look out for the safety of all community members and, as a result, become the eyes and ears of the community. They notify emergency services when required and assist individuals who are in distress, offering a safe haven in any OC Transpo vehicle. In 2015, OC Transpo employees made 263 Transecure calls, bringing the total number of calls to 10,771 since the program’s inception in 1989.

For more information on the programs OC Transpo has in place to make transit safe and secure, please visit octranspo.com .