SPRINGFIELD – Line personnel from Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association (EECA) participated in the annual Lineworker’s Safety Rodeo coordinated by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Fourteen teams from 12 electric co-ops, one municipal electric utility, and one team of Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) linework students participated in the friendly competition. The rodeo highlights the skills lineworkers use to work safely and efficiently.
From left: Lineworkers Hunter Lodge, Jared Bastien and Ronnie Gill represented Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association at the 2022 AIEC Lineworker’s Safety Rodeo.
Hunter Lodge, Jared Bastien and Ronnie Gill represented EECA at the rodeo, held at the LLCC Line School Yard in Springfield. They competed against teams from across Illinois in events using skills that focus on agility, speed and accuracy. While these skills are part of the judging criteria, above all, participants are judged on safe work practices.
Line personnel competed in four team and five individual events: a 40-foot climb, hurt man rescue, H-structure obstacle course, a surprise written exam for the mystery event, and a head-to-head climbing challenge.
Scores for each event are based on completion time, proper execution of the task and safety. Deductions were made to a team or individual’s overall performance score due to mistakes such as slipping when climbing poles, dropping tools or executing inappropriate procedures or methods.
At the end of the day, the EECA team won first place in the hurt man rescue competition, and Bastien won first place and Lodge won third in the individual competition of the same event. Congratulations to our lineworkers on their team and individual efforts.
Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association (EECA) is a member of Touchstone Energy — a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing high standards of service to members large and small. More than 700 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in 46 states are delivering energy and energy solutions to more than 30 million members every day. EECA is committed to providing superior service based on four core principles: integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. The co-op serves more than 15,000 meters over 2,000 miles of line in Jackson, Perry, Randolph, St. Clair, Washington and Williamson counties, and parts of Franklin, Johnson, Monroe and Union counties. For more information visit www.eeca.coop.