Linemen Are The Foundation of Altamaha EMC Linemen Are The

S E R V I N G : T O O M B S , M O N T G O M E R Y, E M A N U E L , T R E U T L E N , L A U R E N S , J O H N S O N a n d TAT T N A L L
Vol. 13, No. 4
NOVEMBER 2012
Lyons, Georgia
Linemen Are The
Foundation of Altamaha EMC
T
he term “lineman” generally
refers to the person who sets
the wooden poles and strings the
wire that runs along those poles.
The occupation began with the
widespread use of the telegraph in
the 1840s, then continued with the
invention of the telephone in the
1870s, just before the beginnings of
electrification in the 1890s.
Electric line work proved much
more dangerous than telegraph or
telephone work because of the electrocution risks. Between the 1890s
and the 1930s, line work was considered one of the most hazardous
jobs. Approximately one in three
linemen was killed on the job, mostly from electrocution. This led to the
establishment of apprenticeship programs and more stringent safety
standards, starting in the 1930s.
The occupation evolved during
the 1940s and 1950s as the demand
for electricity increased. As the public
became more dependent on electricity, damaged power lines had to be
repaired quickly. This created a need
for more linemen to maintain power
distribution circuits and to keep them
repaired following power outages,
storms and other emergencies.
Equipment, safety standards and
working procedures have continual-
November 2012
ly improved. While the lineman’s
job may not be as dangerous as it
once was, it is every bit as
demanding.
“It takes a unique individual
to be a lineman,” says Carl Gay,
Manager of Construction for
Altamaha EMC. “Not everyone
wants to work in the elements
every day, especially when the
weather is at its worst. When
they’re needed, they answer the
call. Whether it’s blazing heat,
freezing cold or pouring rain, they
head out to restore electrical service after it gets knocked out.
“If a calamity, such as a severe
storm, causes systemwide outages,
Altamaha EMC Newsletter
it is the linemen who leave their
homes and families to toil for
hours or days—whatever it
takes—to get the lights back on,”
adds Gay. “Providing the service
we do isn’t always an easy job,
but it’s rewarding for those who
choose to do it.”
Linemen must remain up to
date on work practices, but there
are other training requirements as
well. “Hurt man rescue” training
is conducted annually. CPR and
roadside flagging certifications
have to be renewed every two
years. Many OSHA requirements
must be met as well.
We send our linemen to these
training opportunities because
they not only help keep lineworkers alive and safe, but they also
save money for our members
through lower insurance rates.
When they’re not training or
responding to an outage, our linemen are on the job, maintaining
the infrastructure and building
new lines to ensure reliable delivery of your power.
“While all employees contribute to the existence of
Altamaha EMC, our lineworkers
are the foundation it was built
Continued on page 22C
22A
Be Ready for Santa with
a Safe Holiday Season
T
he most wonderful time of the
year can also be the most
stressful—particularly when it
comes to keeping your children
safe through parties, presents, travel and meals. Follow these tips
from the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) to protect
your little ones this holiday season.
For more information, visit
holidaysafety.org.
•
•
•
Electronic gifts
About 70 percent of child-related
electrical accidents occur at home
when adult supervision is present,
according to the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission. So
make sure those new toys don’t
pose a danger.
• Electric-powered toys and other
devices can be extremely hazardous, if used improperly or
without proper supervision. An
adult should supervise the use
of any electrical product.
Consider both the maturity of
the child and the nature of the
toy when deciding how much
supervision is required.
• Do not buy an electrical toy, or
any toy, for a child too young
to use it safely. Always check
the age recommendation on
the package, and remember
this is a minimum age recommendation. You should still
take into account your child’s
capabilities.
• Never give any child under 10
years old a toy that must be
plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, choose toys that
are battery-operated.
22B
If you have young visitors during the
holidays, be sure to invest a few dollars in outlet covers to keep curious
fingers at bay.
•
• Make sure all electrical toys
bear a fire safety label from an
independent testing laboratory,
such as UL (Underwriters
Laboratories Inc.).
• Inspect all electrical toys periodically. Repair, replace or discard deteriorating toys.
• Ban play with electrical toys
near water, and make sure children understand that water and
electricity don’t mix.
• All electrical toys should be put
away immediately after use, in
a dry storage area out of the
reach of younger children.
•
oration that will be used
around young children, like
electric trains or animatronic
dolls.
Keep candles, matches and
lighters out of reach, and never
leave children unsupervised
when candles are lit.
Instead of traditional candles,
try using battery-operated
candles.
Cover any unused outlets on
extension cords with plastic
caps or electrical tape to prevent children from coming in
contact with a live circuit.
Place electrical cords out of the
reach of small children.
Never allow children to play
with lights, electrical decorations or cords.
Cooking
In 2009, ranges and ovens
were the cause of an estimated
17,300 thermal burn injuries treated
Continued on page 22C
Decorating safely
More candle fires occur on
Christmas, Christmas Eve and New
Year’s Day than at any other time
of the year, according to ESFI.
Always check your festive decorations for safety hazards:
• Read manufacturer’s instructions
and warning labels for any dec-
Altamaha EMC Newsletter
GEORGIA MAGAZINE
Holiday Safety,
Chicken and Wild
Rice Casserole
Continued from page 22B
in U.S. hospital emergency rooms.
Of these, 36 percent of the victims
were younger than 5. Here are some
ways to keep little kitchen helpers in
check:
• Never leave the kitchen when
something’s cooking—a fire or
accident can happen in an
instant.
• Keep children at least three feet
from all cooking appliances.
• Never hold a child while cooking
or when removing hot food from
the microwave, oven or stove.
• Turn pot handles in, away from
reaching hands.
• Use the back burners on the
cooktop whenever possible.
• Hot tap water scalds can be prevented by lowering the setting
on water heater thermostats to
120 degrees Fahrenheit or below
When preparing meals, be sure to
keep pot and pan handles turned
inward, away from reaching hands.
and by installing anti-scald
devices in water faucets.
• Once your holiday meal is
ready, make sure the stove
and oven are turned off and
other kitchen appliances are
unplugged and out of reach.
Altamaha EMC Linemen,
Continued from page 22A
on,” says Altamaha EMC CEO
Romanous Dotson. “Simply put,
without the power lines they build
and maintain, we wouldn’t be able
to provide service to our members. They have one of the most
dangerous jobs in the country and
are required to work in all kinds
of weather conditions, oftentimes
being called away from their families for extended periods of time.
“Although line work has
remained relatively the same
through the years, our guys are
required to do much more now,”
says Dotson. “They must be proficient in writing reports, problem
solving and other key areas, such
as customer service. Each one of
November 2012
our guys takes great pride in
doing the best job possible for
our members, and we’re very
proud to have them all on our
team.”
The next time the electricity
goes out, think about a few
things, like the time of the day,
the weather conditions and the
fact that no matter the circumstances, an Altamaha EMC lineman is probably already on the
way to restore your power.
Linemen know their work
directly affects the thousands of
members who depend on electricity in their daily lives. Altamaha
EMC linemen are truly the foundation of the cooperative.
Altamaha EMC Newsletter
2 (6-ounce) packages fast-cooking long
grain and wild rice mix
1/4 cup butter
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 (8-ounce.) cans sliced water chestnuts,
drained and rough chopped
5 cups cooked chicken
4 cups shredded cheddar, divided
2 (11-ounce) cans cream of mushroom
soup
16 ounces sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix to cover
casserole or homemade, coarse bread
crumbs
1 (2.25-ounce) package sliced almonds,
toasted
Prepare rice mixes according to
package directions. Melt butter in
large skillet over medium heat; add
celery and onion. Sauté 10 minutes
or until tender. Transfer celery and
onion to large mixing bowl (the
biggest one you have). Stir in water
chestnuts, rice, chicken, 3 cups
cheddar and next five ingredients.
Spoon mixture into two 11x7-inch
baking dishes or two two-quart baking dishes. Top casserole with bread
crumbs to cover. Bake at 350 for 35
minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1
cup of cheese and toasted almonds;
bake 5 more minutes. Yield:10-12
servings.
I usually make this entire recipe
and freeze half for a night when I
don't have time to cook, but you
can easily cut the portions in half
and have more than enough to feed
a family.
—From the kitchen of
Marilynn Hopkins
22C
Suppressors Help Electronics
Withstand Power Surges
H
igh-tech gadgets, appliances
and computers share one
weakness: destructive power surges.
Too much electricity coursing
through connecting wires can fry
circuitry inside sensitive electronics,
reducing them to expensive trash.
Unfortunately, electric current
coming from your wall outlet doesn’t always remain at a steady, optimal 120 volts. Electricity can spike
for a number of reasons, including
lightning strikes on power lines,
which can send millions of volts
searing through your wiring. Motordriven appliances that use large
amounts of power—like washers
and dryers—will cause surges, too,
when they turn on and off.
But power spikes aren’t always
dramatic or obvious, notes Van
Henriott, Member Services Director
for Altamaha EMC. “Smaller electrical products, like your hair dryer,
have more subtle power cycles than
large items, like a central air-conditioning unit,” Henriott says. “When
you use your hair dryer every
morning, it could be gradually damaging the circuitry of, say, your
microwave, as each small surge hits
its circuit board.”
Reminder—Scholarship
Deadline Approaching
January 31, 2013,
is the deadline to
submit applications
for the $1,000 Walter
Harrison Scholarship. For more
information, visit our website at
www.altamahaemc.com or call
Tammye Vaughn at 912-526-2120.
22D
the base of your electric meter.
Suppressors are available for a
multitude of applications, from single-plug wall units to rack-mounted setups that cover an entertainment system.
For those who don’t like continually stooping to flip the switch
on a power strip, some models
even include a remote control. You
can also find pivoting protectors
that adjust to accommodate a variety of adapters, letting you plug all
Whole-house surge suppressors
of your gadgets into one strip.
protect digital electronics by divertFinally, keep a few things in
ing excess voltage to a ground wire.
mind before you buy. “It’s important to remember that many of
your devices may be connected to
All is not lost
Homeowners can protect digital other outlets, like satellite, cable,
electronics with surge suppressors. phone and Internet lines,” Henriott
adds. “Surge protectors are availAs the term implies, these devices
able with options to protect these
suppress a fluctuating power supply by diverting excess voltage to a conduits as well. And make sure
the manufacturer guarantees to
ground wire. There are several
cover the cost of replacing any
types of whole-house surge supdamaged equipment that was
pressors, although none can fully
attached.”
stand up to the enormous power
For more information on surge
spike caused by lightning.
Some protectors mount on your suppression options, including the
circuit breaker panel indoors or are TESCO system sold by Altamaha
EMC, contact Van Henriott at
built into a specific circuit breaker.
912-526-2118.
Others are designed to mount at
Thanksgiving Closing Notice
Altamaha EMC offices will be closed
Thursday and Friday, November 22 and 23,
for the Thanksgiving holidays. In the event
of a power outage or other related problems, standby personnel will be on duty.
You can report power outages by calling
us at (912) 526-8181, or toll-free
at (800) 822-4563.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your
family!
Altamaha EMC Newsletter
GEORGIA MAGAZINE