Take a moment to consider what your life would be like without electricity. You wouldn’t have the essentials such as light, air conditioning or heat. A hot shower would be nonexistent. You also wouldn’t have all the modern day amenities like your TV, computer or cell phone.
At San Patricio Electric Cooperative, our goal is to power your life so you have the electricity you need to light your home, cook a meal for your family or watch your favorite show on TV. It takes an entire team of people to make that happen and our lineman play a crucial role.
Our linemen are often unsung heroes. But these are the men that get out of their nice, warm beds in the middle of the night to make sure your power is on. They head outside, despite hazardous weather conditions, to make repairs to the poles, wires and other equipment that keep your lights on. These men serve you in the rain, heat, cold and even the rare snow or ice storm. They climb electricity poles, handle live electricity and operate heavy machinery.
Their jobs are dangerous. SPEC’s linemen attend weekly safety meetings to keep safety top of mind. At the end of the day, they need to return home to their families safely.
However, a lineman’s day doesn’t always end once he goes home. Our linemen take turns being on call in case there is a power outage or emergency. When the co-op is closed, these men have to be ready to return to work at a moment’s notice. In a normal week, our on-call linemen could have to work an extra 10 or 15 hours responding to issues after-hours and on weekends. During a large storm, they could work an extra 30 to 40 hours on top of their normal 40-hour work week.
It’s time that they would rather spend at home with their families or catching up on sleep, but our linemen show unwavering commitment to their responsibilities. Keeping the power on is paramount. Our members come first.
SPEC’s crew of linemen is small, but efficient. About a dozen men maintain more than 3,100 miles of energized power lines. They respond to outages, make repairs and provide routine maintenance to help keep our electricity infrastructure reliable.
They also set up electric service for new homes and business in our service area. It’s a complicated job, but they work methodically, carefully tackling each task until the job is done, the poles are set and the power lines are energized.
Their dedication and sacrifice is something to be celebrated and appreciated. That’s why the NRECA has established National Linemen Appreciation Day on the second Monday of April each year. On April 13, we will honor the men who keep the lights on.
Help us celebrate our linemen by sharing a quick note of thanks on our Facebook or Twitter page. And if you see one of our lineman around town, please take a moment to say thank you.