May 22, 2026 | Paige Wharton 

Tim Moos doesn’t just talk about safety—he lives it. That’s why he was nominated by not one, but two colleagues for the CSD Pool’s quarterly Safety Hero recognition. Through his leadership, attention to detail, and willingness to speak up when something doesn’t look right, Moos has helped strengthen the safety culture at South Fort Collins Sanitation District (SFCSD) and prevent what could have been a catastrophic electrical incident. 

As a Utility Technician III and Training Coordinator for SFCSD’s Safety Committee, Moos has built a reputation for putting safety ahead of convenience. His coworkers describe him as thoughtful, practical, and deeply committed to making sure every employee goes home safely at the end of the day. 

That commitment was put to the test shortly after SFCSD completed a multi-day arc flash training. Moos was part of a crew performing pump removal work at a lift station after power had supposedly been shut off. Rather than assuming the system was safe to work on, he applied the training he had just completed and verified isolation using a multimeter before work began. 

What he found likely prevented a serious injury or worse. 

“During this verification, Tim identified unexpected, energized power still present on one leg of the electrical system,” explained Derik Caudill, one of the colleagues who nominated him. “Recognizing the hazard, he immediately stopped work and brought the issue forward so the task could be reassessed rather than proceeding under unsafe conditions.” 

Despite the installation of a kill switch intended to de-energize the pump, live 240-volt power was still present. Moos’s decision to slow down, verify the equipment, and stop work prevented employees from unknowingly working on energized equipment. 

“This stop-work decision prevented a potentially serious electrical incident and demonstrated strong hazard recognition, proper application of training, and a clear commitment to safety over schedule,” Caudill added. 

The impact of Moos’s actions extended far beyond that single moment. Following an after-action review, SFCSD invested in additional local electrical disconnects at individual motors, permanently reducing arc flash and electrical exposure risks at the station moving forward. 

“To me, that is a good example of training actually changing behavior in the field, and then the district taking the next step to fix the issue,” Caudill said. 

For Moos, however, safety isn’t about recognition. It’s about people. When asked what safety means to him, Moos responded, “I know it sounds like a broken record, but having everyone go home at the end of the day with no injuries or issues so they can enjoy their families.” That mindset is something his coworkers see every day. 

Ryan Palmer, who has worked alongside Moos for years, said his dedication to protecting others is what truly sets him apart. 

“He genuinely cares about his coworkers and wants them all to go home safely to their families each day,” Palmer said. “He consistently looks for ways to improve systems, reduce risk, and protect his coworkers. His actions reflect true leadership and embody the spirit of a Safety Hero.” 

According to both nominators, Moos’s influence reaches far beyond one near-miss incident. He has played a major role in advancing the district’s overall safety culture and improving several core safety programs, including confined space procedures, hot work practices, and field and plant safety protocols. 

“He submits more safety reports than anyone else in the district because he is always evaluating how we can improve safety while still being efficient at what we do,” Palmer explained. “He is actively engaged in our safety committee and collaborates with other safety minded people to make sure we are doing things the right way.” 

Moos also helped normalize proactive safety conversations across SFCSD. Safety discussions now happen regularly during department meetings and district-wide gatherings, and employees have access to survey tools to report hazards and concerns before incidents occur. 

“Tim has helped make safety part of the normal routine instead of something that only comes up after a problem,” Caudill said. “I think that has helped staff see that reporting a concern is not complaining or tattling. It is part of how we improve.” 

One initiative Moos is particularly proud of is the district’s Safety Site Walks, where crews conduct detailed evaluations of buildings, equipment, and workspaces to identify risks before they become incidents. 

Moos explained that the walks give them a dedicated time to assess and identify risks that could become hazards. Then the safety committee is brought in to correct or mitigate those hazards as needed. 

This proactive mindset is central to how Moos approaches risk management and loss prevention. 

“A lot of the time I will look at a situation as if an untrained person or a bystander were to have to complete a task,” Moos said. “What hazards or safety issues might they run into and how can we reduce the risk of injury?” 

Moos also believes many organizations underestimate how quickly small issues can grow into major incidents if they are ignored. 

“The small stuff can and will snowball into larger things,” he said. “Sometimes companies or individuals get in a hurry, and this causes more issues and injuries than slowing down and thinking through a task.” 

That ability to slow down and think critically in high-pressure environments is something both of his nominators emphasized repeatedly, describing Moos as “cautious” and “good at thinking on his feet.” 

“Tim is good about slowing things down enough to think through the hazard,” Caudill shared. “In collections, there are a lot of situations where people can feel pressure to just get the work done. Tim is usually the person asking whether the work can be done safely before moving forward.” 

Moos’s approach to safety leadership is grounded in collaboration, understanding that strong safety cultures are built through communication, awareness, and shared responsibility—not enforcement alone. By asking hard questions, ensuring crews understand potential hazards, and keeping safety at the forefront, he helps create meaningful buy-in across the organization. He also emphasized that lasting safety culture starts with support and commitment from leadership.  

“Buy-in must start from the top,” he said. “Show the crew and individuals that you are willing to get them the safety gear that they need and ask for. If they feel like they can come to you with a safety issue and you can help mitigate it, buy-in and morale for safety will increase.” 

Moos’s actions demonstrate exactly what this recognition was created to honor: using training in real-world situations, speaking up when something feels wrong, and taking decisive action to protect others. 

Whether he’s identifying hidden hazards, improving safety procedures, coordinating training, or encouraging coworkers to think differently about risk, Moos leads by example every day. His dedication to protecting his team—and ensuring everyone goes home safely to their families—proves why he was selected as our Safety Hero.