Michael Scott named Alive at 25 Instructor of the Year

The National Safety Council Southeastern Chapter (SCNSC) announced Michael Scott as the National Safety Council’s Alive at 25 Instructor of the Year, a prestigious national award recognizing the very best instructors across the United States. In 2024 alone, Michael trained nearly 2,000 Alive at 25 students across South Carolina and Georgia, imparting life-saving knowledge that will protect young drivers, their passengers, and others on the road. The award was presented Sunday evening at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo in Denver, CO.

“I’m honored to be recognized with this award,” said Scott. “Every class I teach is for the friends and family I’ve lost, and for the students I hope I never meet on a crash scene. If one young driver decides to put the phone away, slow down, or take the keys from an impaired friend because of something we discussed in class, that’s the win that matters.”

A program of the Southeastern Chapter National Safety Council, Alive at 25 teaches our most at-risk drivers (age 15-24) defensive driving skills and the consequences of poor driving decisions. The course, developed in 2007 and taught by off-duty law enforcement officers and first responders, is a requirement for hundreds of high schools and courts across South Carolina & Georgia.

Michael is a retired Captain at City of Rock Hill Fire Department and was also a Critical Care Paramedic at Piedmont EMS. He was the first SC firefighter to become an Alive at 25 instructor. His passion for traffic safety stems from deeply personal experiences, and he has dedicated his career to ensuring others do not suffer the same tragedies that shaped his journey.

As a high school student, Michael lost four friends to vehicle crashes. Just a few years later, as a young firefighter, Michael responded to a call to find that his teenage cousin had been killed in a car crash. And sadly, tragedy touched Michael’s life again in 2011 when another of his cousins, a nurse, was permanently disabled in a car crash on her way home from a long hospital shift.

These losses did not break Michael Scott. In fact, they served only to strengthen his resolve to help others and inspire his passion to teach. With 30 years of experience responding to crashes, as both a firefighter and EMT, he has witnessed firsthand the consequences of speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and fatigue.

Michael brings these decades of personal, lived experience to his teaching. He doesn’t just deliver information — he makes students feel the gravity of their choices behind the wheel. His classroom is a place where statistics become real stories, and young drivers can truly grasp that driving is not just a right, but a privilege that demands responsibility.

“Being selected by the National Safety Council from a nationwide field is a testament to Michael’s skill, empathy, and relentless commitment to saving lives,” said Todd Buehrig, President & CEO of SCNSC. “We’re incredibly proud of Michael and grateful for the elevated standard he sets for our defensive driving programs.”

About National Safety Council Southeastern Chapter

SCNSC is a nonprofit, membership organization based in Irmo, SC. The Council’s mission is to save lives from the roadway to the workplace across South Carolina and Georgia. SCNSC accomplishes this mission by providing training courses for traffic driving, workplace safety and first aid. For more information visit www.scnsc.org or call (803) 732-6778.