2025 Safety Awards Pictures
PCSC News & Events
News, announcements, and articles from the PCSC.
2025 Safety Award Winners
We’re excited to announce our 2025 Portage County Safety Award Winners!
We’ll be celebrating and honoring our winners at our next luncheon on Thursday, May 8, 2025, 11:30am-1:00pm, at the Ravenna Elks. Click here to register to attend.
2025 Safety Champion – Nate Walden, SHES Sr Manager, Synthomer Inc.
Nate has improved safety within Snythomer and has improved communication with Mogadore Fire, PC Hazmat Team and has become a member of the PC LEPC. While on the LEPC, Nate has shared his knowledge on chemicals, preparedness, emergency planning and selecting chemical monitoring and PPE. Nate and Snythomer have hosted an exercise to build preparedness within the community and emergency response groups. Nate understands the hazards and risks involved within Synthomer and how it could impact the community of Mogadore and Portage and Summit counties in general. He works daily to educate his co-workers to be vigilant and mindful in their duties to prevent spills or worse.
2025 Safety Improvement Award – Dawn Collins, Director, Portage County Recycling & Solid Waste Management District.
Over the past year, Director Dawn Collins has spent significant time rebuilding the Public Employee Risk Reduction Program at the PC Solid Waste Management District. Working alongside industrial safety consultant, Nic Coia, Dawn formulated committees with her employees to oversee the written policies and procedures to ensure buy-in with staff and to capture the actual processes related to work in the district and how to more safely conduct activities. In addition to CPR and First Aid, Dawn conducted training for all staff on new policies and precures, updated all PPE, and was awarded a safety grant to purchase a lift truck versus the use of ladders. She audited each section of her office and developed over a dozen written programs. This drastic shift in safety at the PCSWMD has significantly improved operations and the safety of staff district wide.
2025 Safety Innovation Award – Just 10 Minutes Program, Parker Hannifin Ravenna Plant.
The Just Ten Minutes program was developed to enhance Parker Hannifin’s new hire safety training. The “Just Ten Minutes” program is a daily safety conversation that a new team member has with a representative from EHS, Operations, and Engineering team (or anyone else who may volunteer to lead a Just Ten Minutes session with all new team members). Just Ten Minutes includes daily topics in Safety as a Value, Hazard Recognition, Choices and Behaviors, and Empowerment.
After a team member’s new hire orientation their first day, they must attend 20 “Just Ten Minutes” sessions in their Safety Dojo, which equates to 1 per shift for their first 20 days. New team members meet for Just Ten Minutes in the Safety Dojo at 7:45 am, 8:15 am, or 4:15 pm each day, depending on the shift they work.
The program is designed to train new team members on the behavioral side of safety, which has significantly helped them improve our safety culture. It also gives new team members a chance to meet with other new team members and leaders from different functions and areas and gives them a safe space to bring up anything of concern during that first month of employment.
TERO Training was a Success!
“The Threat Evaluation and Reporting Overview (TERO) is a three-hour introductory training focusing on a behavioral approach to violence prevention. The TERO raises awareness about the risk factors, triggers and stressors, and warning behaviors that could impact a person’s decision to commit an act of targeted violence. Further, it outlines the mitigating factors that could help prevent acts of targeted violence, while emphasizing the importance of community involvement in seeking help for individuals, and respecting their privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.”
39 safety council members successfully completed the 3-hour TERO training yesterday at the Portage County EMA!
Thank you to Homeland Security and the Ohio School Safety Center for facilitating the training and the Portage EMA for hosting the event at their facility!
Collaboration will always be the key to making Portage County a safer place to work!
Now Accepting Nominations for our 2025 Annual Safety Awards Program!!!
Every year the Portage County Safety Council recognizes a few individuals, teams, programs, projects and/or organizations that go above & beyond to improve safety!
Our Safety Awards program will be held annually at our May luncheon. Nominees must be either employed by a Portage County Safety Council member organization or work in Portage County.
Awards will be considered in the following categories:
- SAFETY CHAMPION: An individual who goes above and beyond their typical work duties to improve and to promote workplace safety beyond their organization.
- SAFETY IMPROVEMENT: An individual, team, program, project, or organization that has made a significant improvement to their organization’s safety performance or has significantly contributed to the improved safety performance of others.
- SAFETY INNOVATION: An individual, team, program, project, or organization that has created new practical safety measures (tools, PPE, equipment, processes, procedures, etc.) that has improved or enhanced workplace safety.
NOMINATIONS: To nominate an individual, team, program, project, or organization for one of the safety awards mentioned above, please complete this online Safety Awards Nomination Form prior to Friday, March 21st, 2025.
DEADLINE: Friday, March 21, 2025.
CEREMONY DATE/LOCATION: May 8, 2025, 11:30am-1:00pm, at the Ravenna Elks.
Click here to view our 2024 Winners!
*All awards are subject to change based on nominations.
PPE Fashion Show was a hit!
We did our first ever PPE Fashion Show at our monthly safety luncheon yesterday! What a fun and informative meeting. 😀
Thank you to Shelly Owen for orchestrating this and emceeing!
Thank you to Nicholas Coia for his PPE insight.
Thank you to Tarry Alberini & U.S. Safety Gear for sponsoring and supplying all the PPE!
Thank you to all of our models for making this a fun and exciting event! Ryan Shackelford, Robert Campbell, Che’ O’Connell, Paul Killian, Renée Onesti, Matt Mohler, and Mike Lenzo.
Celebrating 2024!!!
PCSC Members & Community Stakeholders:
As 2024 comes to an end, I wanted to celebrate with you all everything that we’ve accomplished together. Every year when we take a moment like this to reflect, I’m blown away every single time!
It seems in both work and life, often we’re too busy and pressured to move onto the next thing without pausing a moment and simply being thankful for what we already have or what has already happened. I hope you’ll take a moment with me today to simply celebrate everything we’ve accomplished together.
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
SAFETY TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
- We hosted 16 in-person training events in 2024!
- 46 completed NARCAN training and received free kits from Project DAWN through our partnership with the Portage County Combined Health District.
- We partnered with 4 other safety councils to co-host an OSHA Recordkeeping Seminar in January.
- We collaborated with the Portage County Fire Chief’s Association, Portage County Health Department, and Portage County Local Emergency Planning Committee to co-host The 2024 Portage County Annual Emergency Preparedness Symposium where 100+ received lithium-ion battery safety, active shooter and cybersecurity training.
- We partnered with the Portage County Human Resources Association to offer members with SHRM credentials Professional Development Credits for attending our monthly meetings.
PODCASTS:
- We published 464 minutes (nearly 8 hours) of original workplace safety content.
- We broke 17k downloads this year!
- We partnered with the Ohio Safety Congress again in 2024 to provide podcast previews of some of their top education session speakers.
- All time stats: 293 episodes published, totaling 83.72 hours (5,023m) of original workplace safety & health content, downloaded in over 55 nations!
EXTRACURRICULAR:
- We launched our all-new Annual Safety Awards & CEO Day, honoring local professionals who go above and beyond to improve safety in the Portage County area!
- We hosted our annual holiday food drive at our November & December luncheons to help those in need through the Center of Hope and Kent Social Services food pantries.
2025 CHALLENGE:
A handful of years ago one of our longstanding Steering Committee members, Renee Onesti of Kent Elastomer Products, challenged me (in a good way) to come up with a word of the year to help set the tone for the new year. I extend this same challenge to you! Come up with a simple word or phrase that will help establish a mindset that you want to project into the new year so that you may be everything you want to be and accomplish everything you want to accomplish.
My personal word for the new year is “ALIVE!” I want to be fully alive in 2025! I want everything I am and everything I say and do to be full of life this year. What’s your word?
I hope you all have a good, safe & healthy Christmas and New Year!
Emergency Preparedness Symposium was a Success!
The Portage County Annual Emergency Preparedness Symposium was a great event!
In conjunction with the Portage County Fire Chief’s Association, Portage County Health Department, Portage County Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the Portage County Safety Council, the event took place on Friday, November 15th, 2024, at Northeast Ohio Medical University, and had 3 great presentations!
- Lithium-Ion Batteries, presented by Nick Zamiska, Bad Day Training and Consulting.
- 2012 Chardon School Shooting – Lessons Learned, presented by Michael Hanlon, Chardon Schools Superintendent.
- Cybersecurity and Multi-factor Authentication, presented by Cameron Singer, Portage County Informational Technology.
2024 Holiday Food Drive!
We’ll be collecting non-perishable food donations at our November and December meetings to support the Center of Hope and Kent Social Services food pantries. Both programs serve hundreds of families in need on a daily basis so we’re honored to be able to help support their work in our county!
Bring in canned or non-perishable food donations to either luncheon and receive a chance to win a gift card! Attendees will receive 1 drawing ticket per item donated.
DID YOU KNOW?
- The Center of Hope has served over 108,000 hot meals and distributed over 22,000 bags of groceries! They serve the communities of Ravenna, Ravenna Township, Charlestown, Wayland, Edinburgh, North Benton, Palmyra, Eastern Palmyra, Diamond, Paris Township, Deerfield, Newton Falls, and Rootstown.
- Kent Social Services “serves over 20,000 hot meals a year and provides over 100,000 pounds of groceries to households in need.”
February 20, 2025 – Threat Evaluation & Reporting Overview (TERO) Training
The Threat Evaluation and Reporting Overview (TERO) is a three-hour introductory training focusing on a behavioral approach to violence prevention. The TERO raises awareness about the risk factors, triggers and stressors, and warning behaviors that could impact a person’s decision to commit an act of targeted violence. Further, it outlines the mitigating factors that could help prevent acts of targeted violence, while emphasizing the importance of community involvement in seeking help for individuals, and respecting their privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
Click here to view the event flyer.
- DATE: Thursday, February 20, 2025.
- TIME: 9:00AM-12:00PM.
- LOCATION: Portage County EMA, 2978 OH-59, Ravenna, OH 44266.
- COST: Free but registration is required.
- REGISTRATION: Must register online by Friday, February 14, 2025. Seating is limited.
- INSTRUCTOR: Faylin Eve Thurn, State Homeland Security Program Manager, Summit County Department of Public Safety.
- CREDITS: This event qualifies for up to one safety council rebate Attendance Credit (the same as a monthly meeting) for Portage County Safety Council members or up to one External Training Credit for members of other Ohio Safety Councils.
November 15, 2024 – Emergency Preparedness Symposium
In conjunction with the Portage County Fire Chief’s Association, the Portage County Health Department, Portage County Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the Portage County Safety Council, you are invited to attend the Portage County Annual Emergency Preparedness Symposium, scheduled for November 15, 2024, from 08:00AM to 12:00PM at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, Cook Hall (4209 OH-44, Rootstown, OH 44272).
The following FREE event qualifies for up to one safety council rebate Attendance Credit (the same as a monthly meeting) for PCSC members and up to one external training credit for members of other Ohio Safety Councils.
This is a great training opportunity covering 3 hot button issues!
- Lithium-ion Battery Safety: “While these batteries provide an effective and efficient source of power, the likelihood of them overheating, catching on fire, and even leading to explosions increases when they are damaged or improperly used, charged, or stored.” – NFPA
- Chardon Active Shooter: Professionals who were present during the 2012 Chardon High School shooting will share about what they learned from the tragedy to help improve your policy, preparation and prevention.
- Cybersecurity: “The integration of sophisticated technologies not only fuels business innovation but also introduces complex cybersecurity challenges. This reality is further compounded by the growing dependence on third-party and fourth-party vendors, which can extend the cybersecurity risk landscape beyond the organization’s immediate control.” – Security Scorecard
Register online no later than Friday, November 8th, 2024. IMPORTANT: Please make sure to click “Yes” on question 5 (Are you attending for the Portage County Safety Council) so we can make sure you’re on the PCSC sign-in sheets to qualify for the rebate attendance credit.
CREDITS: Please note that attendees for the symposium will be awarded four (4) hours of EMS continued education! In addition, this free event qualifies for up to one safety council rebate Attendance Credit (the same as a monthly meeting) for Portage County Safety Council members or up to one External Training Credit for members of other Ohio Safety Councils.
Portage County Safety Council 
You must be logged in to post a comment.