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Earthquake Rescuer Builds Training Program For Builders

OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- The Loma Prieta earthquake changed a lot of lives back in 1989. Thanks to the creativity and hard work of this week's Jefferson Award, it's still changing lives today.. for the better.

On October 17th, 1989, Art Shanks had just driven over the Cypress Freeway, like he did every day, when he felt the earthquake.

"That was a double-decker freeway back in the day and it was down!" Shanks recalled. "I immediately went back over to see if I could offer my services."

Shanks and his brother both worked in construction and were certified in search and rescue. Right away, they started crawling through the fallen girders, looking for survivors. They saved six lives that day, and out of the tragedy, Shanks created The Cypress Mandela Project to train people in construction to rebuild the freeway. As it turned out, that freeway would be replaced with a ground-level parkway, but under Shanks' guidance, the program grew.

"We're into PG&E, we're into environmental protection agencies, we're also integrated into the building trades, and all the different components that go with construction," he explained.

The 16-week training programs take men and women from all walks of life: veterans, recent high school graduates, even criminals, and trains them to work on almost any construction job.

Rachel Bryan graduated in 1996.

"I was looking for opportunity," she explained. "I was someone who recently had been released from jail after spending 40 days there. "My lawyer gave me a crushing shock that I could no longer pursue a career in nursing - that I would have to think outside the box."

Bryan now works for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as a Journeyman electrician.

Vince Martinez wakes up everyone morning at 3a.m. to beat the traffic from Turlock to attend the program in Oakland.

"The money management skills, the training the physical training, carrying rebar around this place, shoveling dirt -- it prepares you for something more," Martinez said.

From saving lives in the wake of Loma Prieta to changing lives 25 years later, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Art Shanks.

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