Thank A Lineman

R. Gary Harrison

1.866.285.2359

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By Mail: Post Office Box 30 Union Springs, AL 36089

In Person:

8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday 9100 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36117

402 East Blackmon Union Springs, AL 36089

Night Deposit: Available at both offices

AMEX, Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted in office, online and through our automated phone system

Online: www.dixie.coop

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April is a very special month here at the cooperative. That’s because April 18, 2023, is Lineman Appreciation Day – a day designated to recognize linemen on both the state and federal levels. It really makes me feel good to know that others recognize the significance of the role linemen play in our daily lives, so much so, that they have set aside a special day to honor them.

We all realize that when we have an outage, a crew of linemen immediately gets moving to restore our power. The part most people don’t realize is this crew has typically already worked an entire day building a new power line or trenching and installing underground cable in our Alabama summer heat. Then right as their workday is ending, a thunderstorm blows through with 60 mile-per-hour winds and they must head back out into the field to work again rather than going home to spend time with their families.

Outages are not only physically taxing but can also be mentally difficult for our linemen. They are often the first ones on the scene of accidents, house fires, and tornado damage, so they are there among the first responders doing their part to secure the scene. Although they are trained for these situations, I don’t think anyone is ever quite mentally prepared for some of the situations they encounter.

Over the years, equipment and technology has improved to make some aspects of their work easier, but there are still so many areas that will always require significant manual labor. For instance, when we start receiving outage calls, our outage management system software predicts the general area where the lineman can anticipate finding the cause of the outage. However, when they arrive to the scene and find that the giant oak tree planted fifty years ago has fallen over onto the power lines, technology is not that helpful. This damage requires chainsaws, proper cutting technique and just a lot of brute strength to clear the line of that tree. And that is just the beginning of power restoration in that situation because they still must repair the downed line to restore power. Hopefully they can use a bucket truck for this portion of the repair, but there are still many situations that require them to physically climb the poles.

One thing I am always amazed with is how ingenious some of the solutions are that they come up with for seemingly impossible situations. These linemen are extremely intelligent and could easily have been engineers, but they prefer to work outside with their hands rather than being in an office environment. The complexity of the electric grid with automated meters, electronic circuit breakers and other technological advancements means that just being able to climb a pole and work out of a bucket in the rain is not enough. They must quickly analyze which members are without power, determine the cause of the outage, and make sure the line is safe to work on while also coordinating with other crews and communicating with dispatchers and duty supervisors.

As if those aren’t enough things to contemplate, they also must assess their location to plan for passing traffic and take into consideration a member who may potentially turn on his generator without opening his breaker and cause a back feed on the power lines. They are constantly required to make fast judgment calls regarding necessary equipment, manpower and the overall restoration plan.

Power restoration is an important part of the lineman’s role at the cooperative, but we also want to ensure that our facilities are built with reliability and safety in mind. Just last month our senior linemen and engineers went through a day of training on the National Electric Safety Code and reviewed updates that were made. They also receive annual AED, first aid and CPR training. Each of our trucks has a first aid kit and AED on board so they can help if the situation calls for it.

Technology has also become part of the lineman’s everyday work life in other areas. We have eliminated a lot of our paper processes to move to more efficient electronic processes, so all of our linemen are now equipped with iPads. This gives them quick access to important information regarding our electric system among many other aspects of their daily work. But this additional technology also means they must receive additional training on the use of various apps as well as cybersecurity.

Over the years, the personal protection equipment required for the linemen has changed. Now they wear thick rubber sleeves and rubber gloves when doing work near energized lines. The pole climbing belt is now much more complex in its design to help prevent falls. They must also wear fire resistant clothing. All this gear is extremely hot to work in, particularly during the summer, but safety is of the utmost importance so they must be physically conditioned to work in all this equipment regardless of the weather.

Nomination Procedures

Our linemen do periodically get a break from line work to enjoy another fun element to their jobs. Local schools reach out to us to conduct safety demonstrations for their students. It is so heartwarming to watch these big, strong linemen interacting with kids and sharing how to be safe around electricity. They also participate in career fairs where they talk to students about cooperative careers and let the students put on their gear and try some hands-on activities to test their lineman skills.

What I really love the most about these linemen is the pride they have in the work they do. They know their work is dangerous, but they willingly do it every day in all types of conditions because they ultimately enjoy making our members’ lives better. My point to all of this is we are blessed to have an incredible team of linemen who put you, your safety and your reliability at the top of their priorities. So, when you see these linemen at work or out in the community, please join me in telling them thank you for all that they do to make a difference in our lives. On April 18, 2023, and always, please take a few minutes to thank a lineman. n Gary Harrison is President/CEO of Dixie Electric Cooperative, a member-owned electric utility serving more than 25,000 businesses and homes in portions of eight Alabama counties.

Pursuant to the Bylaws of the Cooperative, the Board of Trustees appoints a nominating committee to make nominations for open positions on the Board of Trustees of the Cooperative. There is a detailed timeline established in Section 4.05 of the Bylaws for the appointment of the committee, applications to be considered by the committee, notice of a meeting of the committee and posting of nominations by the committee. The Bylaws also contain a procedure under which one percent or more of the members from any Trustee District may make other nominations for the Trustee to represent their District by petition. The details concerning this procedure are also contained in the Bylaws.

The Bylaws provide that notices of the above procedures may be given to the members by several different methods including posting such notices on the Cooperative website. The Board of Trustees has elected to use website posting as the method to provide the notices required by Section 4.05 of the Bylaws and members interested in being considered by the nominating committee, the date of the meeting of the nominating committee, the report of the nominating committee and other information concerning the nomination process may find such information posted on the Cooperative’s website as the various steps in the nominating process unfold as set forth in the Bylaws. The Bylaws of the Cooperative are also posted on the Cooperative’s website.