Holmatro president William “Giff” Swayne says a question he invariably gets at INDYCAR events is "Can I get on that team somehow?"
"Well, there's a waiting list," is his reply.
The Holmatro Safety Team, comprised of about 30 safety personnel who have an average of 20 years experience in their respective areas, works in conjunction with and coordinates safety personnel staffing at each venue. A minimum of 18 attend each event, including a trauma physician, an orthopedic physician, two paramedics, 12 firefighters/EMTs, and two registered nurses.
About 75 percent of the team are civil servants who are officers in their departments, such as captains, lieutenants and a fire chief.
Each member was recognized for their service during a dinner Oct. 11 at the Dallara facility in Indianapolis. IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Charlie Kimball and Takuma Sato popped in to relay their thanks and give driving pointers on the simulators (photo left).
Holmatro tools have been an important resource since INDYCAR's founding in 1996, and Holmatro Incorporated became the Safety Team sponsor in 2010. Founded in 1967, the global company designs and manufactures high-pressure hydraulic equipment for rescue, industrial and most recentlypolice and military special forces.
"We are not a consumer product. Our value comes from bringing targeted people to events and then being able to introduce them to the guys on the safety team because they speak the same language," Swayne said. "For our customer base, a guy who runs a rescue squad in a fire department looks at these guys as a rock band and says, 'I could be in that band because I have the same skills sets and I know what they know.'
"It's really neat to see that happen. That's where we get our value and that's one of the reasons we like to do this safety team dinner each year. It's another opportunity to say thanks. These guys never fail to impress me and make me feel proud."
