November 15, 2021

Balfour Beatty senior superintendent in Florida receives Broward County’s highest award for bravery and heroism

Whether we are looking out for our teammates, trade partners or the surrounding public, when we are on or near an active construction site, it’s crucial to everyone’s safety to remain alert and aware of our surroundings.

At Balfour Beatty, our Zero Harm culture instills an instinctual, safety-first mentality that raises general awareness around any unsafe action, situation or behavior—both on and off the jobsite. And with that awareness, we “See Something, Say Something”—and most importantly—“Do Something.” 

One Balfour Beatty teammate recently lived out his safety training and our Zero Harm mentality to save a woman’s life.

It was an early morning at the $95M RD East Los Olas project, a 259-unit, 44-three-story residential tower in Fort Lauderdale. Senior Superintendent Edwin Zamora was waiting in his truck for his teammates to arrive at the jobsite. As he waited, he heard a startling and frightening sound—a woman screaming in a nearby alleyway. Unbeknownst to Edwin at the time, a man had grabbed the woman and thrown her on the ground, intending to kidnap her.

Moving swiftly with his safety-first mentality, Edwin jumped out of his truck, grabbed a metal pipe, screamed at the attacker and ran to the woman’s aid, ultimately preventing the kidnapping. 

“When I saw the man beginning to attack her, I thought about my mom, wife and daughter,” says Edwin. “Whether we are on or off the jobsite, we must be constantly vigilant and aware of our surroundings. I know that thanks to the Zero Harm training that is instilled and constantly reinforced at Balfour Beatty, 
any of our teammates would have done the same.”

In recognition of Edwin’s selfless act of bravery and heroism, Broward County Mayor Steve Geller presented him with a Broward County Medal of Valor. The Medal of Valor is the County’s highest award for bravery and heroism and is reserved for cases in which a first responder knowingly places their life in peril of death or serious bodily harm while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. 

“I’m incredibly proud of Edwin’s actions, and it shows how powerful our Zero Harm culture truly can be,” says Scott Skidelsky, president of Balfour Beatty’s Florida operations. “Providing our teams with ongoing safety training keeps this mentality at the forefront of everything we do.”

Maintaining the safety and well-being of our teams, workforce, trade partners and the public who are in contact with our work is our top priority whether we are on or off the jobsite. Edwin’s act speaks powerfully to one of Balfour Beatty’s most critical safety principles - making safety personal. 

Every day we choose our actions, decisions and behaviors—choices that have the power to save lives and allow everyone to return home safely at the end of the day. For Edwin, his decision to remain vigilant and act quickly ultimately saved a life.