Whatever it Takes: Powering Life
WCEC Celebrates Lineman Appreciation Day 

Lineworker is ranked as one of the 10 most dangerous jobs in the country. The line crews at Wharton County Electric Cooperative work rain or shine, in often challenging conditions to ensure you have reliable electricity. This year, we’re celebrating Lineworker Appreciation Day on April 8.

A lineworker’s job is hard work, but it’s very rewarding. We wanted to share just a small look into what our line crews face and more importantly, why they do it.

The Danger

A lot of people know linework is dangerous because linemen work near high-voltage electricity. Move just the wrong way or lose focus for a split second, and it could be deadly. Linemen have to be aware of their surroundings and the safety of the person next to them. They often work on energized power lines requiring dedicated concentration. There is no margin for error. The environment compounds the pressure because power outages are usually when the weather is worst. Our line crews often work during storms with rain, wind, extreme heat and cold, in the dark, or on the side of the road next to fast-moving traffic. Yes, it’s dangerous, but that’s what they are trained to do.

Many may not realize it, but linemen undergo years of training before they can officially be called a journeyman linemen. WCEC has its own training program taking our linemen from trainee status to apprentice to jouneyman. They start by helping crews with tools and keeping job sites safe, then transition to apprentice status, which typically spans four years. After an apprenticeship, with more than 7,000 hours of training journeyman status is achieved and the lineman is considered officially trained in the field.

But the education is ongoing. Lineworkers continuously receive training to stay mindful of safety requirements and up-to-date on the latest equipment and procedures.

The Physical Demand

The daily expectations of a lineman are physically demanding, but they rarely complain about that. Linemen know what they’ve signed up for—loading heavy materials, climbing poles and in and out of buckets. A lot of times, they go places the trucks can’t, so they might have to hike through the woods loaded down with 40 pounds of personal protective equipment.

The Sacrifices

There are some sacrifices to being a lineworker. They are often first on the scene of an emergency, seeing things that are devastating like car accidents, structure fires and damage from severe storms. They rarely know what type of situation They are going to face or when they will have to face it. Line crews get calls at all hours and in the middle of the night. They miss a lot of their children’s games and activities as well as family dinners. Luckily, our lineworkers’ families are very supportive and are proud to have a lineman in the family. Our line crews are always willing to make the sacrifices needed to make sure nothing is standing in the way of helping friends and neighbors get back to normal life.

It’s Worth It

One thing that makes this job worthwhile is the camaraderie. Line crews are a brotherhood. In their day-to-day work, they each depend on the person next to them in life-or-death circumstances. It’s a culture of trust, teamwork, and service. It’s all about keeping each other safe and the lights on for everybody else.

Our line crews take immense pride in their work. Even when it’s cold and wet, they know they are working to keep people warm. They take a great deal of satisfaction in hearing someone yell “Thank you” from the window after the lights come back on or seeing our members flipping the light switches on their porches after an outage is restored. No matter how tired they may be or how long they’ve been working, the satisfaction of a job well done makes it worth it.

WCEC and its employees are members of this community. They live in the same neighborhoods, shop at the same stores, and their kids go to the same schools. If your lights are off, there is a good chance theirs are off too. So, you can trust that our crews work hard to get the lights back on as quickly and safely as possible so you can get back to normal life.

GM/CEO Gary Raybon's Salute to Our Line Crews