PHOTO BY SAMAN TH A G L EASO N
“I wasn’t sure if I could get it cleared up,” said Burns. She glanced into her rearview mirror and was suddenly filled with hope. There she saw the BEC truck with its flashing lights. On the highway, Williams and Hernandez were already hard at work. “They looked like they were in a race because they were grabbing all the bags of shavings and moving them off the highway,” said Burns. “By the time I got back, they had it all cleaned up. And none of the bags were broken!” Traffic hazard cleared, Williams and Hernandez weren’t finished yet. They took the time to carefully load the bags of bedding back onto Burns’ truck, and Williams even grabbed some extra straps to secure the bags and prevent another hazardous situation. “We just acted,” said Hernandez. “Just like anybody would stop to help someone out. It just happened to be us that day.” Their actions quickly caught the attention Line Foreman John Hernandez leads a crew of Line Foreman Mark Busby back at the BEC during new electric service construction. office in Bandera. Busby said he’s pleased but not surprised because it’s what the people of BEC do well. When it comes to the community, whether it’s a stranded motorist or helping an Eagle Scout with a project, Busby said BEC employees are always there BY DAVID NORRIS to help. “That’s just who we are. When we see A S L I N E M A N F I R S T C L A S S J O N W I L L I A M S and Line someone stranded on the side of the road, we treat them like Foreman John Hernandez drove down Highway 173 on their we would our own family,” said Busby. “If that was my mom way to a job in Kerrville, they figured it would be just like any or dad, wife, or kids who needed something on the side of the other day. The weather was nice that May morning. It was a road, that’s the way I’d want them to be treated.” little chilly, but nothing a light jacket couldn’t handle. Burns was so thankful, she wrote an email to the BEC Everything changed when they noticed a dozen or so office praising Williams and Hernandez. Transmissions bags scattered across the road just ahead. Williams and and Distribution Manager John Rush said he’s proud of the Hernandez weren’t sure what was in the bags, but they knew quick-thinking, selfless work, but he knows they didn’t do it a traffic hazard when they saw one. for the praise. “The cars along that highway weren’t stopping,” said “They do it because that’s just what they do,” said Rush. Williams. “We put the strobes on in the truck so people would “None of our guys do this for the recognition. I think they’re see us, and we pulled over to clear them out of the way. We really demonstrating their integrity.” figured if nothing else, just get [them] out of the road so Even so, Burns is happy to give out praise. She said with all nobody hits them.” the bad in the world, it’s good to remember there are people About a minute before all this, Samantha Burns was on her out there who will go out of their way to help someone in way back home to D’Hanis on the same stretch of highway need. after picking up ten bags of animal bedding for her show pigs “A lot of people would have just driven by without when she too realized her day would be anything but normal. stopping or honked their horn,” she said. “Everybody is “I was driving, and the ten bags of shavings just fell off the always in such a hurry to get somewhere or thinking about truck onto the highway. I’m like, oh my gosh!” said Burns. what they have to do next. Not many people would stop and Burns nearly panicked. It was early and traffic on the do what they did.” highway was heavy. Her mind ran through scenarios of cars Burns said she’ll be extra cautious when it comes to swerving and crashing to avoid the bags. She pulled over to making sure her cargo is well secured from now on. turn around and do something, even though she wasn’t sure exactly what.
Linemen Clear Hazard, Help Motorist
BA NDE R A E LE CT RIC.C OM
BEC TCP_September 2021.indd 21
•
1.866.226.3372
S EP T EMB ER 2021 T E X AS C O - OP POW ER 2 1
8/9/2021 5:24:14 PM
