A Day in the Life of a Lineman
Posted on May 28th, 2021
The call can come at any time — day or night, rain or shine. In the middle of a stormy night, you get the call from dispatch that more than 1,000 members are without power. You get up, get dressed and head to your work truck. You gather information about the location of the outage so you can focus your attention on where the problem might be. You drive through the pouring rain in the dark, riding out the miles of line to find the cause of the outage. Once you locate and evaluate the problem, you make the needed repairs. However, if you need assistance, you radio dispatch for additional crew members. Finally, by daylight, you’re back at home —only to start over again.
Often, First Electric employees have roots in the communities they work. You probably run into them at the local grocery store, hardware store or a sporting event. That’s why they understand the importance of restoring power as quickly and safely as possible to their family, friends and neighbors.
Don Wheeler began his career in 2003 with First Electric as a groundman. In 2020, he was promoted to operations supervisor in Stuttgart. Over the past 18 years, he has restored power to thousands of members. When asked what the most rewarding part of his job is, he responded by saying, “seeing their faces after they have been out for several hours in the hot summer heat and then seeing their smiles when the power is restored.” You will find this same response throughout the co-op. Don said, “I make First Electric and its members my priority.”
The training required to become a journeyman lineman is extensive, and there are different paths to the career field. One path is the High Voltage Lineman Technology program. This 10-month program is a compilation of safety, AC/DC electrical theory, construction, maintenance, and pole top (climbing, testing and rescue). This is followed by four years of apprentice work before becoming a journeyman lineman.
Barry Duncan started his career in 1986 on a right-of-way crew. After almost a year and a half, he transitioned to groundman. After finishing his apprenticeship and working on the line crew as a journeyman lineman, seven years later, he became a serviceman. Part of his job is to draw up service to new jobs. He said, “I enjoy meeting members when I work on jobs with them, and I like getting power back on to members.”
Next time you see them, let them know how much you appreciate their hard work. At a moment’s notice, they are carrying out our mission of “improving quality of life” by powering your homes, businesses and farms! On behalf of the board, we thank all of our linemen for their dedication and service to our members.
Sincerely,
Rick Love, Chairman