For Franklin PUD’s 16 Linemen, training is always a hands on experience. Public Affairs had the opportunity to witness the team perform pole top rescues at the operations center, with a 185-pound life-like dummy. The first step was climbing to the top of the pole. Then without any help, get that injured person to safety. “We come out here once a year and qualify. We make sure that we can get an injured person off the top of a pole, in case they’re injured or electrocuted,” said Travis Scott, Director of Franklin PUD Operations.
The training is part of Washington state’s stringent rules on linemen safety. All linemen must qualify on this drill once a year. Scott says linemen rely on each for survival in the field. “You could be in the middle of nowhere, hours away from help. But as long as you have someone with you – the idea is that someone can get you down,” said Scott.
At Franklin PUD safety is the number one priority. Linemen go through hours of training every year to make sure they’re safe when they go up and work on a power line. When it comes to safety Scott says it’s always on the top of every linemen’s mind. “It’s all we do is safety. We have to follow the Washington Administrative Codes for safety and those are very strict. That’s what we follow for every application and every job we do and every scenario,” said Scott
Scott’s crew consists of 16 linemen in total with 3 shifts of 4 linemen. That also includes a serviceman in Connell and Pasco. There’s also a lineman that performs locates and linemen trainee. Scott says all the linemen get along great and that really helps with moral. “This is one of the best places to work. Everyone on the dock gets along. There’s no drama and everyone has everyone else’s back out here. I’ve never worked anywhere like this where so many people get along. It’s a blessing to be here,” said Scott.