BOARDMAN Safety council to honor efforts of 2 Valley men

The driver who was slumped over his steering wheel recovered after he was given CPR.
BOARDMAN -- Two local men are to be honored tonight for making Ohio a safer place.
Austintown resident Paul Hickson, 48, and Beaver Township resident Eric Carlson, 25, will receive the awards at the annual banquet of the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the National Safety Council.
Community Bus Services of Youngstown, where Hickson serves as vice president of service delivery, logged more than 1.2 million miles last year with minimal mechanical or safety problems, said Larry Kingston, safety council executive director.
Attachable device: Hickson, who receives the Medallion Award, also developed a mechanical arm that is attached to buses to keep children from wandering into the driver's blind spot.
Community Bus Services uses the arm on its new buses and will fit it to older vehicles over the next few months.
Lifesaver: Carlson is recipient of the Hero Award for saving a man's life in October.
Kingston said Carlson was stopped at a traffic light when he heard the engine of another vehicle revving up next to him. The vehicle's driver was slumped over the steering wheel.
Carlson, a Beaver Township volunteer fireman and Poland High School volleyball coach, performed CPR on the man, who was later revived and released from the hospital.
Nearly 50 area companies also will be honored for having zero injuries or falling below the national average for injuries in their industry last year.