Bus operator honoured for saving young child from snowstorm has been named TRANSECURE Employee of the Year - 2008 

OC Transpo bus operator Marino Verzeroli is the 2008 TRANSECURE Employee of the Year.

He received the award at the 19th annual TRANSECURE awards ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, for his role in helping a young child in need.

On a cold and stormy January morning while operating a bus, Verzeroli noticed a three-year-old boy standing alone at the intersection of Meadowlands Drive and Merivale Road. It was snowing with a wind speed of 20 km/h creating a very chilly minus 11°C temperature. He realized the child was not dressed appropriately for the weather condition and stopped the bus immediately to come to his assistance. When Verzeroli asked the child about the whereabouts of his parents, the little boy began to cry and responded that he did not know. Verzeroli then wrapped the little boy in his winter jacket and carried him onto the bus. He contacted OC Transpo Transit Control and Ottawa Police Service was dispatched to meet Verzeroli at Lincoln Fields Station. 

As a precaution, a police officer transported the child to CHEO, where doctors confirmed he did not sustain injuries. However, Verzeroli’s actions reunited the child with his mother and took the boy out of imminent danger.

“It gives me great pleasure to recognize the exceptional contributions of not only today’s recipients, but of all OC Transpo employees who have gone beyond the call of duty in coming to the aid of another human being,” said Acting Mayor Michel Bellemare. “Our drivers are also the eyes and ears of our community and I commend them all for their hard work and dedication.”

Verzeroli is one of 14 Transit employees honoured during the ceremony. These individuals stand out for going above and beyond the call of duty to look out for the safety of the community, or for using OC Transpo buses to provide a safe haven to persons in distress.

Since the program’s inception in 1989, OC Transpo employees have logged 8,803 TRANSECURE calls. In 2008, 489 calls were recorded. The TRANSECURE program’s success is due to employees who go out of their way to make Ottawa a safe and caring community.

OC Transpo’s Transecure Committee will submit Marino’s Transecure call of the year for 2008 to CUTA for consideration for their Employee Recognition Awards, which are presented annually at the Fall Conference.