I’ll bet that you didn’t know that April is lineman appreciation month. Well, it is! And every April at Jackson EMC we set aside time to honor this dedicated group of professionals by giving them our appreciation. We’d love for you to join us.

If you see linemen, please stop and tell them “thank you.” Let them know you appreciate their hard work to keep the lights on. You can also give them your support on social media using the hashtag #ThankALineman.

The thing is, many of us may only think about those linemen when there’s a storm. Our power is out. We’re in the dark. We wonder when our power will be restored. It’s at those times that our linemen shine the brightest. When Mother Nature causes damage to power lines, our linemen do what they do best – they go out to restore power.

At Jackson EMC, our linemen are always ready to restore power – night or day, rain or shine. I have the highest respect for the safe and professional work done by our linemen. They are our first responders. They often brave dangerous conditions to safely and quickly restore power to homes, schools, hospitals and businesses. That typically means working close to energized power lines and equipment, climbing 40-foot poles, all while maneuvering around fallen trees or limbs to do it.

While linemen are highly trained and always keep safety first, it’s still one of the most dangerous jobs in America. To get the job done safely, our linemen are outfitted with the tools, equipment and protective gear to keep them out of harms way. Linemen also wear fire-resistant clothing and insulated rubber gloves to help keep them protected from high voltage power lines. They do this because, at the end of each day, we want everyone to go home the same way they arrived – safe and sound.

Even when linemen aren’t contending with Mother Nature, it’s still a tough job. Power outages never seem to happen at a convenient time. And many times, linemen must step away from their families when there’s a power outage – responding on weekends, holidays or late at night. Over the years, I have seen countless examples of linemen working in the worst conditions to ensure their neighbors had power -- even when they were without electricity at their own homes.

It’s this type of tireless dedication that makes me so proud of our Jackson EMC linemen. Once again, please join me during linemen appreciation month (or anytime you see a lineman) and tell them “thank you” for a job well done!

If you have any words of appreciation you want me to share with our linemen, please email me at [email protected].