Message From General Manager – April 2025

Lineworkers Power Life — Whatever It Takes

Line work ranks as 1 of the most dangerous jobs in the country.

The crews at Fannin Electric Cooperative work, rain or shine, in often-challenging conditions to ensure you have reliable electricity. On April 14, we celebrate National Lineworker Appreciation Day, honoring those who make sure our community has the power it needs every day.

It’s hard work but very rewarding.

The Danger

Working around high-voltage electricity comes with obvious risks. Move just a little the wrong way or lose focus for a split second, and it could be deadly.

Lineworkers often work on energized power lines and can’t tell they’re energized by sight alone. Their work requires concentration, and there’s no margin for error. They often endure rainstorms, high winds, and extreme heat and cold to restore power during an outage—sometimes in the dark or near fast-moving traffic.

That’s why workers must undergo years of training before they can officially be called a lineworker. They typically start as a groundman, helping crews with tools and keeping job sites safe, then transition to apprentice status, which usually spans 4 years.

After an apprenticeship, with more than 7,000 hours of training under their belts, they transition to journeyman lineworker status, when they’re considered official lineworkers. But the education is ongoing. Lineworkers continue training to stay up to date on safety requirements and the latest equipment and procedures.

The Sacrifices

This field comes with trade-offs. Lineworkers are often first on the scene of devastating emergencies, like car accidents, structure fires and damage from severe storms.

They don’t know what type of situation they’re going to face or when they’ll face it. They get calls at all hours, including in the middle of the night. They might miss their kids’ sports events and family dinners, but with the support of their families, their dedication pays off in the end.

Their sacrifices ensure the electricity that powers the lives of our friends and neighbors stays on.

The Rewards

1 thing that makes this job worth it is the camaraderie. Fannin EC’s employees are like a second family, and the line crews are a tight-knit group. In this work, they have to depend on the person beside them in life-or-death circumstances.

It’s a culture of trust, teamwork, and service. It’s all about keeping everyone safe and the lights on. Lineworkers have a lot of pride in their work. When it’s cold and wet, they know they’re working to keep people warm. There’s a lot of satisfaction in hearing someone yell “thank you” from the window after the lights come back on or seeing people flip the light switches on their porches after an outage is restored.

No matter how tired they are or how long they’ve been working, that feeling makes it worth it.

You can trust that Fannin EC lineworkers are doing their best to get the lights back on as quickly and safely as possible—so you can get back to living.