Who’s behind the tools at HURST Jaws of Life? It’s regional sales managers like Tim Shott, a man who took on the title of first responder as a teenager and hasn’t relinquished it since.

Shott has spent his career serving the first responder community, joining the Indiana Air National Guard right out of high school as a fire protection specialist and earning his EMT certification from Indiana State University. In his early twenties, Shott was named district chief at Sullivan Fire Department, a position he held for three years.

Firefighting must be in the Shott family’s blood. Tim’s father was a fire protection specialist, and his son joined the first responder brotherhood at a young age, too. Today, nearly 30 years after his first volunteer post, Shott still serves the local community by fighting fires as the captain of Thunderbird Fire Protection Territory. 

It was his experience with the life-saving tools in the field that inspired him to join HURST Jaws of Life full time four years ago. He tended to a scene where a group of school buses collided with a semi-truck across a railroad track. He said the accident required multiple HURST tools to extricate the patients. In 26 minutes, the rescuers freed the children and transported them to the hospital safely. He credits that success to the tools and training.

Now as Midwest regional sales manager, he educates, interacts and trains first responders each and every day. His priority is arming first responders with the knowledge and proficiency they need.

“With proper education and guidance, rescuers can work smarter, not harder,” Tim said. “Their job is hard enough, and our goal is to make it easier for them to get the job done.

“People in my community see that I work for HURST Jaws of Life and start telling me stories of when the tools were used to save their life or their loved one. It’s an amazing feeling,” he said.  

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