Durham Regional Transit bus operators Dawn Sutton and Katherine Watson were recognized for their exceptional acts of heroism while on the job. The Canadian Urban Transit Association’s 2017 Individual Leadership Awards celebrate the efforts and excellence of outstanding individuals in the transit industry, all across Canada.
On March 15, 2016, at approximately 6:30 a.m., Dawn Sutton and Katherine Watson came upon an incident in Ajax. A woman had been struck by a vehicle while crossing at an intersection. Sutton immediately contacted the Transit Control Centre to call 9-1-1. She then secured her bus and attended to the pedestrian lying on the street. When Watson arrived, she secured her bus, grabbed her seat pad and rushed to help. She noticed that the woman had lost the bottom part of her leg. Watson took off her belt and applied a tourniquet to slow the bleeding, and placed the seat pad under the woman’s head. Sutton and Watson stayed with the pedestrian until EMS arrived.
In June, Sutton and Katherine were presented with the first ever General Manager’s Commendations for Community Safety at a meeting of Regional Council.
“Our people are our strength. These two heroic operators went above and beyond to help a resident who was in need. Their selfless, safety-first mentality speaks volumes about them and their commitment to serving their community. At times, we have 350 sets of eyes and ears on the ground. In that sense, our front line staff truly are a sort of Neighbourhood Watch on wheels," said Vincent Patterson, general manager, Durham Region Transit.
