An update from your District 5 Trustee, Mark Pittman

The old saying is, “April showers bring May flowers.” That may be true, but April also can bring thunderstorms, and the month is in the heart of Oklahoma’s tornado season. Spring storms often bring a greater chance for power outages. While Central strives to provide reliable electricity to our members, there are times when mother nature has other plans. Most of us can ride out a storm from the comfort of our homes, but there is a group of professionals who spring into action when the weather takes a turn for the worst – co-op linemen. 

Braving bad weather and challenging conditions, linemen must often climb 40 feet in the air to perform their task of restoring power. Listed as one of the 15 most dangerous jobs in the U.S., linemen carefully work on and around high voltage power lines. To help keep them safe, they wear a variety of personal protective equipment or PPE.  For example, specialized fire retardant clothing and insulated rubber gloves are worn to protect against the hazards of working on high voltage electric lines. 

The jobs of today’s linemen go far beyond climbing to the top of a pole to repair a wire. They are also information experts that can pinpoint an outage from miles away. Line crews use tablets and cell phones to locate outages, communicate with devices and troubleshoot problems. Working with engineers, dispatch crews and other support positions at our office, our linemen are responsible for keeping 4,343 miles of line across seven counties working. Every employee plays an important role in ensuring you have power to your home 24/7/365, regardless of the weather or holidays.

While some of the tools linemen use have changed over the years, namely the use of technology, the dedication to the job has not. Being a lineman is inherently dangerous and requires work around high voltage lines in the worst of conditions, at any time - day or night. During ice storms, wildfires or thunderstorms, crews often work around the clock to restore power. 

Lineman Appreciation Day is April 13. So during the month of April, if you see a lineman, please pause to say thank you to the power behind your power. Send them a shout out on social media and let them know you appreciate the hard work they do to keep the lights on, regardless of the conditions.