Linemen Show Their Skills

Piedmont Electric linemen showed their skills at the Got to be NC Festival. (Left to right) Robert Riley, David Godfrey, Donald Neems, Brent Talley, Brian Rhew and Donovan Williams.

Electric cooperative lineworkers demonstrated their skills at the 7th Annual Lineman’s Rodeo Demonstration, showing a record crowd just how much it takes to ensure safe, reliable and affordable power reaches their homes. The May 21 event featured live line demonstrations, pole-top transformer changing demonstrations, pole-top rescues and other exercises. All were performed without bucket trucks, demonstrating the climbing skills of the linemen.

The event was narrated by North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ Job Training & Safety (JT&S) team.

“We explained each task, the skills required and most of all the safety procedures being used,” says JT&S field manager Farris Leonard. “It was a great opportunity for the audience to learn about electric cooperatives and what it takes to maintain safe, reliable power.”

The Got to be NC Festival is held each spring at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh and is a production of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Members of Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation’s line crew traveled from nearby Hillsborough to participate in the demonstration.

More information is available at gottobencfestival.com.