Central’s focus is to provide you with safe, reliable and affordable electric service. This is not always an easy task as Mother Nature often has other plans. Central operates and maintains more than 4,500 miles of line across seven counties, which is often double or triple the amount of electrical infrastructure exposure than that of a mid-sized municipal electric utility. There is no magic tool that can prevent 100 percent of outages. Our best defense? Linemen who are ready and willing to respond at a moment’s notice.  
 
April 18 is recognized as National Lineman Appreciation Day. It is easy to take for granted the critical nature of having electricity until it is gone. During the month of April, we take time to reflect, appreciate electricity and acknowledge that it takes people to keep the lights on. Linemen across the nation work in challenging conditions and do so happily to ensure people have power restored as soon as possible. It is also during April that I often think back to my time as a lineman.
 
I have many memories from those years, and most of them come from restoring power during major weather events when working conditions were not the best. However, no matter the conditions, I knew there were no excuses to avoid the job at hand. It was my job to restore power for the member, regardless of the conditions. Whether it was -15 or 115 degrees outside, lightning as I repaired a pole while 40 feet in the air or dropping freezing rain on me while climbing an ice-covered pole, I had a job to do to help others. This was not only my mentality, but also that of my coworkers. 
 
Most people are familiar with the risks associated with working on high-voltage lines. It takes a special person to have the desire to be ready for the challenge; it also takes a special family. When the call comes, a lineman will leave family holidays, birthday parties or Little League games to respond, not knowing how long it will take. As you are thanking the linemen, thank their families too. The situation looks much different without their support.
 
I appreciate the work of our Central linemen and their dedication to the mission of providing safe and reliable power. If you happen to see a lineman working down the road from your house, filling up at a gas station or restoring your power after an outage, take a moment to say hello and let them know how you feel about their commitment to the members. It means more than you may know.