Gives you an odd feeling. I'm 71 so he was not much older than I.
I climbed my first tower at 20 at Treasure Island, CA at the Naval Station amateur radio club. Back then there WAS NO "fall arrest" or harnesses, just simple belts and lanyards. For many years I climbed a few here and there of friends. Wasn't until the 90's I climbed for Motorola in Spokane. That is when 'fall arrest' and harnesses, and other regulations and practices were coming into play. So we went to 'tower climbing school.' And we paid attention and learned a lot
This guy........
Having saved more lives than he ever knew, Winton ‘Dub’ Wilcox Jr. passes at age 74
Having saved more lives than he ever knew, Winton ‘Dub’ Wilcox Jr. passes at age 74
Simply said, what Guglielmo Marconi did for radio, Winton (Dub) Wilcox Jr. achieved for climber safety as he took a cottage industry with loosely knit safety practices to a heightened professional awareness to save tower techs’ lives through his advocacy and establishment in 1995 of one of the first schools to teach tower climbing safety – ComTrain.
He passed away Thanksgiving morning at age 74, but his life-long friendships, kindness, and dedication to climber safety will live for years to come. His efforts have saved many workers’ lives, especially for ‘old school’ workers who shed their tattered makeshift belts and embraced climber protection standards and PPE. For that, the industry is deeply indebted to Dub.
His school was a phenomenal success. Training classes were contracted across the United States as well as Egypt, Kuwait, Saipan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, and El Salvador. Winton was an accomplished author, writing over six training manuals on tower climbing safety and rescue as well as tower construction, a number of them translated into Spanish to accommodate a growing and diverse workforce.
Until he sold ComTrain and semi-retired in 2012, he was the media go-to professional oftentimes elevating conversations regarding new standards and other safety initiatives.
Winton was a voracious reader and was known for his charming quick-witted comments.
Before founding ComTrain, Winton established a tower construction and maintenance company and was fully aware of the problems and safety issues oftentimes found in the field.
I climbed my first tower at 20 at Treasure Island, CA at the Naval Station amateur radio club. Back then there WAS NO "fall arrest" or harnesses, just simple belts and lanyards. For many years I climbed a few here and there of friends. Wasn't until the 90's I climbed for Motorola in Spokane. That is when 'fall arrest' and harnesses, and other regulations and practices were coming into play. So we went to 'tower climbing school.' And we paid attention and learned a lot
This guy........
Having saved more lives than he ever knew, Winton ‘Dub’ Wilcox Jr. passes at age 74
Having saved more lives than he ever knew, Winton ‘Dub’ Wilcox Jr. passes at age 74
Simply said, what Guglielmo Marconi did for radio, Winton (Dub) Wilcox Jr. achieved for climber safety as he took a cottage industry with loosely knit safety practices to a heightened professional awareness to save tower techs’ lives through his advocacy and establishment in 1995 of one of the first schools to teach tower climbing safety – ComTrain.
He passed away Thanksgiving morning at age 74, but his life-long friendships, kindness, and dedication to climber safety will live for years to come. His efforts have saved many workers’ lives, especially for ‘old school’ workers who shed their tattered makeshift belts and embraced climber protection standards and PPE. For that, the industry is deeply indebted to Dub.
His school was a phenomenal success. Training classes were contracted across the United States as well as Egypt, Kuwait, Saipan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, and El Salvador. Winton was an accomplished author, writing over six training manuals on tower climbing safety and rescue as well as tower construction, a number of them translated into Spanish to accommodate a growing and diverse workforce.
Until he sold ComTrain and semi-retired in 2012, he was the media go-to professional oftentimes elevating conversations regarding new standards and other safety initiatives.
Winton was a voracious reader and was known for his charming quick-witted comments.
Before founding ComTrain, Winton established a tower construction and maintenance company and was fully aware of the problems and safety issues oftentimes found in the field.
As a guy who has had a career climbing power poles for 42 years, I can appreciate Mr. Dub's work of making things more safe for people who climb towers. R.I.P. Dub.
I watched a kid from PSA (Public Service of Arizona) do it!
