Every April, we take a moment to recognize cooperative lineworkers and the rest of the cooperative team that supports them daily. The lineworkers have been the first responders of the utility industry for decades before the pandemic and have remained first responders during the unprecedented COVID-19 period.
Certainly, first responders such as nurses, doctors, emergency medical and fire personnel, and police and sheriff officers deserve the spotlight when it comes to serving the public daily. Our region, state and country are blessed to have quality and dedicated first responders that act as separate but coordinated teams to serve others selflessly.
Nurses and doctors administer invaluable care that saves lives and provides comfort to people stricken with illness and injury of all types. Electricity powers the alarm that wakes them, the water pump that showers them, and the lights at the hospital that welcome them. Lineworkers make all that possible.
When ambulances pull onto the scene of a car that has hit a power pole, causing wires to come down, lineworkers likely arrived ahead of them to shut down the deadly electricity and make the scene safe. Often, the bucket truck and the lineworkers are out of any photos as they watch over the safety of everyone. Then, when flashing lights disappear and the news story is over, the lineworkers set about the work of repairing the damage and restoring the power.
There are lineworkers in the shadows holding a pulled meter or the insulated stick that disconnected the transformer at almost every house fire. There is a brief nod or conversation between the lineworkers and the firefighters to verify no electric hazards while fighting the blaze.
Law enforcement personnel often have to leave home at a moment’s notice. The flip of a switch helps them find their boots and gear. The electric garage door opens at the push of a button. The street lights illuminate the darkness and make the street signs visible. Lineworkers make all that possible 24/7/365.
COVID-19 has put a spotlight on the deserving first responders regularly in the beacon’s glow. In keeping with the lineworkers’ tradition of providing service that allows other first responders to serve safely and efficiently, the lineworkers have remained in the shadows.
Throughout this last year, we have fought to ensure lineworkers are classified as first responders equal to the others mentioned above. But when the time came to allocate vaccinations, lineworkers were not treated as first responders.
The lineworkers continued to serve. They always will. Respect and recognition are not needed. They have survived the pandemic thus far and will take pride in doing so without assistance from any governmental agency.
The lineworkers know that doing their job well means that the lights are always on and the scene is always safe. In the utility business, consistency means that you get taken for granted. It is part of the success of the industry. Lineworkers drive trucks that are big, bold, and easy to see. The essential and critical service is what so often remains out of mind.
Please join me in thanking the lineworkers for being a vital part of the first responder team in our region. I remain proud of all cooperative lineworkers and their fellow employees
Thank you for highlighting line workers contributions.They certainly deserve acclaim.
Here’s to the biggest, baddest thumbs up ever !!
Nice article Tony, thanks for the recognition ????
Right On Tony…I ever tell you I worked as a lineman for Top O’Michigan on Beaver Island years and years ago…
THANK YOU LINEWORKERS!!????
Thanks to all the line workers for all that they do! We tend to take it for granted that the power will always be there when we flip the switch but we forget that it is the line workers, first and foremost, who make that possible.
A well deserved spotlight on a very special group of extremely talented people. 99.99% of the people going by their work have no idea of how dangerous and technical their work is. Did I mention that many times they are working in the worst weather conditions of storms that caused the outage and/or dark of night when someone knocked over a pole?
Thanks to all of them and all those who support them back at the office.
Thank you Lineworkers for all that you do for us no matter what the weather dishes out! Bless you all!!
So very true! They are Top of the Line responders! What would we do without them? Thank you to all these men and women for their dedication and loyalty!!
Thank you to all the line workers. You are first responders and deserve to be treated like all first responders. Thank you all. God bless you.
YES! Line workers are HEROS! This retired RN, who was on call for years, needed them then and appreciates them!
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR LINE WORKERS!!! And, I certainly support that you should be in the top tiers of those eligible to receive the Covid vaccine, especially when climate change is stressing our power systems all over the country.
As a nurse I recognize that caring for our community is not possible without a team effort of multiple agencies made up of first responders. Line workers are certainly important members of that team and deserve recognition as such.
The line workers have many times sacrificed their comfort of a warm home to save those without power so many times at any given hour in rain, sleet freezing snow and cold to provide those helpless without the means to be comfortable. We salute you and congratulate you for your braveness and loyalty to all the thousands of customers that you represent