A lineman will say that he is his brother’s keeper. It’s a pledge ingrained in their culture that means they will watch out for each other.
On those opportunities when I get to visit with our linemen and right-of-way workers, I witness this pledge in action along with their amazing efficiency, proficiency, and safety. They are without a doubt professionals who take a lot of pride in their work.
When storms roll through and knock out power, our crews respond quickly no matter the time, day or night. Sometimes, however, the damage exceeds what our crews can repair in a reasonable amount of time.
That’s why in the electric cooperative world we have an agreement among cooperatives across the country called mutual aid. We help each other in times of need. At Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative, we’ve had to rely on that help more than a couple of times.
When tornadoes came through in 2011 and again in 2021 and when Hurricane Zeta struck in late 2020, mutual aid from cooperatives across the Southeast helped ensure we restored service to our consumers in a week. It’s a valuable resource that’s unique among electric cooperatives. When Winter Storm Fern hit this year on Jan. 23, most of Alabama was spared. Our neighbors to the West in Mississippi were not. Sleet, freezing rain and some snow struck the northern half of that state, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people. It was devastating.
Cooperatives across Alabama responded. Coosa Valley Electric received the call to help Tippah Electric Power Association in Ripley, Miss. Tippah EPA serves around 14,000 consumers in central north Mississippi and southern Tennessee. In total, we sent 25 workers who worked for almost a month to assist in restoring power to the TEPA system.
As the general manager, when we send crews off, I can’t help but worry. I worry about their safety and how well they’ll be received. I can thankfully say that they journeyed, worked long hours for weeks on end and returned home safe and sound. And, thanks to social media, I know that they were very well received.
Lineman Appreciation Day is approaching. This year, we will celebrate on April 13. I thought I’d let the people of Tippah EPA say how much we all appreciate the hard work and dedication of these very special men. The posts of below are from the CVEC Facebook page.
