National Lineman Appreciation Day

GRANTS, NM – National Lineman Appreciation Day is celebrated each year on April 18, the first Lineman Appreciation Day was celebrated in 2013 and was passed by the 113th Congress on April 10, 2013 to recognize linemen for their contributions to protect public safety and putting their lives on the line to keep electricity flowing.

Linemen have worked since the implementation of electricity in homes during the late 19th century. Linemen are the individuals you see working on the electricity poles when the power goes out, when a storm hits, or when a natural disaster occurs. Linemen often work in the most dangerous conditions and in the worst weather. These linemen also work with electrical wires that carry thousands of amps of current and risk their lives nearly every day of the year. Without linemen it would be impossible to have electrical lines to carry electricity to homes and to power everyday items. A lineworker installs, services, and repairs the electrical lines, pols, and emergency repairs electrical lines in the case of lightning, wind, ice storms, or ground disruptions.

Linemen have also responded during extreme weather conditions. When Hurrican Sandy, a category 3 hurricane, hit the costal Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in October 2012, more than 1.4 million customers of the PPL Electric Utilities in the area were affected by power outages. To respond to the immese destruction of Hurricane Sandy, the PPL Electric Utilities assembled it’s largest storm response workforce, bringing in crews from 16 other states. The linemen that were a part of this crew replaced 1,813 pole crossarms, 461 poles, 601 transformers, and 16,853 insulators, plus more than 100 miles of aerial lines. This crew not only repaired all of these, but they were able to restore power to customers in only eight days.

It is extremely difficult to become a lineman and to work everyday in mostly rough conditions to keep the lights on in many homes in the United States. A lineworker apprenticeship takes about 7,000 hours of hands-on work and training classes, or about four years to complete in many states. It is also very challenging to work on the line and it requires incredible physical and mental strength, with linemen carrying many of their tools and other supplies up to the line, and being on the line for many hours to repair it.

Linemen overall are not very recognized for the incredible work that they do everyday, and not many individuals are aware of the sacrifices that these individuals have to make everyday to keep the electricity flowing. Due to this the 113th Congress decided that to recognize these individuals they would pass a resolution for Linemen Appreciation Day.

Linemen Appreciation Day was passed by the 113th congress on April 10, 2013 and was known as S. RES. 95. The following is the resolution that was passed to designate April 18 as National Linemen Appreciation Day,“ Recognizing linemen, the profession of linemen, the contributions of these brave men and women who protect public safety, and expressing support for the designation of April 18, 2013, ad National Lineman Appreciation Day. Whereas the profession of linemen is steeped in personal, family and professional tradition; whereas linemen are often first responders during storms and other catastrophic events, working to make the scene safe for other public safety heroes; Whereas linemen work with thousands of volts of electricity high atop power lines 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep electricity flowing; Whereas linemen must often work under dangerous conditions far from their families to construct and maintain the energy infrastructure of the United States; Whereas linemen put their lives on the line every day with little recognition from the community regarding the danger of their work; and Whereas April 18, 2013, would be an appropriate date to designate as National Lineman Appreciation Day.”

Continental Divide Electric Cooperative will join in on the celebration on April 18 to honor the hard-working men and women who often work in challenging conditions to keep the lights on. Continental Divide gave the following statement regarding their linemen and linemen across the country, “Our lineman, as well as lineman from across the nation, truly deserve this special day of recognition.”