National Lineworker Appreciation Day:

A Day in the Life of a DLC Lineworker

JULY 9, 2021
Saturday, July 10 marks National Lineworker Appreciation Day, which is recognized by
the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(IBEW), the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) and the National Electrical
Contractors Association (NECA). This date was chosen to honor Henry Miller, IBEW’s
first president, who died on July 10, 1896.
At DLC, lineworkers are a critical part of our operations, and their dedication is greatly
appreciated. From scheduled maintenance and projects to storm restorations, our
lineworkers are essential to powering the lights and lives of our customers.
A Day in the Life of a Lineworker
For a lineworker, every day is different. However, crews typically begin their day by
receiving assignments and loading any materials they might need throughout their day,
such as poles, onto their trucks. They then drive to their assigned job site, set up a work
zone and conduct a job briefing, which includes reviewing safety measures, before
getting started. Job assignments can include pole setting, transformer repairs or service
upgrades, for example.
Repairing Damage Following a Storm
Crews are sometimes called away from scheduled maintenance to resolve issues, such
as addressing damage due to downed trees, car accidents or storms. Each week there
also is a designated “trouble crew” to help address these issues.
A Damage Assessor or Troubleshooter are the first to arrive on the scene to assess the
situation and provide helpful information.
Following a storm, crews use Storm Tracker, a DLC app, to find out which jobs need to
be completed. If they’re unable to resolve the issue immediately, the team will cut down
wire to isolate damage and thus restore power for as many people as possible before
another crew continues their work later.
A Rewarding Job: Insights from DLC Lineworkers
For Chris Bruder, Senior Lineworker and Crew Leader, the variability is one of his
favorite parts of the job, “It’s just something different every day. It makes it fun and
interesting.”
Shawn Doyle, Apprentice Lineworker, views restoration as the most rewarding part of
his job. He shared, “You can have some pride and a sense of accomplishment getting
the power back on for thousands of people. When the customers are happy, it gives you
a good feeling.”
Thank you to our lineworkers for going above and beyond to safely keep the lights for
our customers! Be sure to check out more information about National Lineworker
Appreciation Day on DLConnect, Microsoft Teams and our social media channels.
We encourage you to take a moment tomorrow, July 10 to thank our lineworkers for
powering – and empowering – our communities. You also can visit DLC’s Facebook
page to use our National Lineworker Appreciation Day profile picture frame!