Safety is the biggest concern for Alabama Power Company. Employee Russell Davidson works to ensure he and his crew stay safe so they can keep the lights on for customers.
Davidson started with Alabama Power in January 2007, and has worked his way up to a plant control operator at Plant Gorgas in Walker County, where he has been for three years.
Being a plant control operator requires a high level of skill and extensive knowledge of how the plant operates. A plant control operator monitors and controls all the various sub-systems that work together to create electricity.
Davidson says his priority is to make sure his unit is “producing as much power as needed, so when our customers reach to flip the switch, the light comes on.”
None of what Davidson does would be possible without having a mind for safety. Davidson says the people he works with are like family, so looking out for their safety and well-being is a given. “As a plant control operator, first and foremost, my job is to ensure my crew and myself are working as safely as possible,” Davidson says.
This was one reason Davidson became a member of Plant Gorgas’ Emergency Response Team (ERT). The ERT consists of “medical first responders, high-angle rope rescuers, confined space rescuers and chemical first responders,” says Davidson. He goes on to say, “This volunteer team is on plant site to handle almost any emergency that arises due to the dangerous nature of our jobs and the inherent risk we face on a day-to-day basis.”
Davidson’s heart for volunteering doesn’t stop when he leaves work. He has been a member and volunteer at Farmstead Baptist Church in Jasper for 24 years. At the church, Davidson runs the audio-visual equipment. He says that while he was not blessed with the ability to sing, he was given the talent of being “able to make someone else sound good while singing.”
Davidson has also helped coach Upward basketball for many years. Upward is a Christian sports league for children in grades 5 through 8. He began coaching when his daughter, and then his son, expressed interest in the sport. “I have always loved playing, but I never tried to teach the game. Hopefully, I have made a positive impact on the kids I’ve worked with,” says Davidson.
When he is not busy keeping the lights on or volunteering, Davidson enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, teaching his children how to hunt, fish and enjoy nature.
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)
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