It’s a good bet that things are going to be safe in Doug McDonald’s hands. An assembler at HURST Jaws of Life, he’s conscientious about his role in building rescue tools that extend lives, and he’s obviously a bit humbled by it.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever really had a job that means something,” said the North Carolina native of his 11 years with the company. “We’re saving lives.”

Doug also makes sure the assemblers, machinists, engineers, material buyers and team of employees at the Shelby, N.C., facility stay safe. He’s a member of the safety committee and keeps an eagle eye on processes and procedures to ensure workplace safety. He doesn’t let up when he leaves work, either; a trio of dogs and a parrot now find safe haven in his home – one was a stray, another abandoned, and the third about to become homeless when its owner moved. Each time, it was Doug to the rescue. “It’s accidental that I have so many dogs,” he laughs.

But we know with Doug, there are no accidents. Between gardening, a little golf and perhaps a few NASCAR races, Doug’s busy at work and home keeping things safe for all of us.