When storms impact Alabama, linemen put themselves in harm’s way during treacherous conditions to restore power and provide an invaluable service to the communities they serve, the Energy Institute of Alabama (EIA) says. Today, they celebrated Lineman Appreciation Day to recognize Alabama’s lineworkers alongside state leaders.
Each year, the group presents an Outstanding Service Award recognizing linemen for going above and beyond their duty. This year’s award winners were Steven Keel, Britt Clayton, Daniel Hollis, Nic Porter, Larry Littlejohn, and Travis Hardee.
Keel, Clayton, Hollis and Porter rescued a family on the Coosa River after a little girl fell into the water and her father jumped in to save her. As the father struggled to bring his daughter to shore, these four linemen were able to pull them out of the water.
Hardee and Littlejohn rescued Travis’s daughter after she fell into a pool and sank to the bottom by giving her life-saving CPR.
Lineworkers were in attendance from a number of companies including the Alabama Power Company, Alabama Rural Electric Authority, Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, Electric Cities of Alabama, PowerSouth Energy and Tennessee Valley Authority.
They were thanked for their service by Alabama Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh, State Senator April Weaver (R-Brierfield), and WSFA Chief Meteorologist Josh Johnson.
“The job of a lineman goes beyond helping communities regain power after a storm,” Cavanaugh said. “Alabama’s linemen are at work every day making sure that Alabamians have access to reliable power. Linemen are first on the scene after any storm or outage, and we shouldn’t wait until they are needed to say thank you. These men and women work countless hours, and it is an honor to be here today to celebrate their service to our communities.”
“I remember learning at a young age that a storm meant my grandfather, who was a proud lineman, would be gone for lengths of time in tough conditions to restore power to communities in need. Seeing the commitment and dedication it takes to do this work firsthand gave me the greatest appreciation for linemen and their families,” said State Sen. Weaver.
“The work that Alabama’s linemen do is important to our state, and I thank them and their families for all that they do to ensure that Alabamians have access to electricity.”
“The Energy Institute was proud to work with the state Legislature to establish Lineman Appreciation Day in Alabama, and today we continue to celebrate the work our linemen do every day to keep our lights on,” said Houston Smith, chair of the Energy Institute of Alabama. “Today, we want to thank them for all they do to support our state. They don’t just fix outages; they restore hope and peace of mind at times when it is needed most.”
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
