interview/info for a writing project?

[NotALineman]

I'm looking for some info that I need for a character in a writing project I'm working on. I've read through a lot on this site and have learned a lot, but there are still a lot of things i don't understand, and i want to give an accurate and realistic representation.

Is anyone willing to school me by answering a few qs to fill in the gaps, or even to take a look at my scenario and let me know how plausible it would be?

Thanks in advance and i really hope you all don't mind my intruding on your forum.

[topgroove]

Post away, and will give ya some feedback.

[NotALineman]

Okay, i'm most confused about a couple of things...

1. Coops-utilities-outsourcing to contractors...everytime i think I understand, i find that i don't. I read something about how coops and utilities typically employ only a few linemen as foreman/supervisors and use contractors mostly...how does that work? Are ther coops that would have solely employees, rather than using contractors? I am especially interested in a rural area, such as appalachia/eastern ky.

2. If such a case existed, how many men, or crews would that foreman feasably be supervising or responsible for, both on a specific job and overall?

3. What would be the procedure for working on lines not accessible with a truck? Equipment, etc.

4. If you are out on an emergency call, do you have someone dispatching, etc and available in an office with whom you keep in contact via radio, etc? I'm assuming it would be possible to be in a semi-remote area where you could possibly have no cell phone or radio reception, would that be accurate?

[LostArt]

Welcome NAL. Btw, I'm not a lineman either. :D I'm really surprised the guys haven't answered you yet. They aren't hard questions. Although some co-ops vary. It's according to what state you are in sometimes. And since you mentioned just a certain area (eastern KY), maybe they are waiting for one of those guys to answer your questions.

Hopefully, a few will answer you soon. They are working men, so it might be a few days when they answer.

[hotwiretamer]

Okay, i'm most confused about a couple of things...

1. Coops-utilities-outsourcing to contractors...everytime i think I understand, i find that i don't. I read something about how coops and utilities typically employ only a few linemen as foreman/supervisors and use contractors mostly...how does that work? Are ther coops that would have solely employees, rather than using contractors? I am especially interested in a rural area, such as appalachia/eastern ky.

2. If such a case existed, how many men, or crews would that foreman feasably be supervising or responsible for, both on a specific job and overall?

3. What would be the procedure for working on lines not accessible with a truck? Equipment, etc.

4. If you are out on an emergency call, do you have someone dispatching, etc and available in an office with whom you keep in contact via radio, etc? I'm assuming it would be possible to be in a semi-remote area where you could possibly have no cell phone or radio reception, would that be accurate?

I don't work in Eastern Ky. but out here in the west Utilities and coops have there own linecrews. We don't just have supervisor/foremen! In fact, we rarely contract out any work. Normally a foreman from where I am from you could have anywhere from 3 to 6 men you are responsible for. For us, if the job is that big or needs that many guys you have two crews on it.

There's always areas you have no radio or cell coverage, and in those cases you should bring someone with you, or, drive somewhere to get a signal and request some assistance. Don't put yourself in a bind when no one knows where your at.
As far as equipment access, that goes on daily. If you can't get a truck to it, you climb it, hand set it, hand dig it, etc. It's nothing new, most lineman know how to handle the work without the equipment........or should.

[RWD]

OK couple of things to address. Just like in every other business, there are many ways to manage a utility. Some utilities try to run the whole thing with contractors and others try to utilize utility staff. Others mix the two methods with varying degrees of success.

I see utilities that use mostly contractors as those run by book keepers. to them a lineman ius just an expense. one lineman is = to another lineman and therefore it does not matter if they are employees or not.

Utilities that use mostly utility employee's know that the above method will work, for a while, but beleive that in the long run they are better off with Billy Bob because he knows how to get where when the crap hits the fan. They also beleive that a linehand that has to fix their own work if it is bad, will ussually do it right the first time. They won't say to themselves "damn, I should have done this the other way, but at least I won't be the guy that has to fix it next time."

Other usilities have found an uneasy ballance between the two systems. Keep a good solid staff for maintenance and minor operations but use contractors durring the heavy season.

Remember there are as many ways to manage a utility as there are to run an office. Each manager has thier own school of thought. Each can argue effectivley why they do it "their" way. Don't confuse apples with oranges when we are dealind with bananas and pumkins....

Also know that I have worked in situations where what was typical and normal in one utility would be concidered dangerouse and irresponsible in others. Again, more than one way to skin a cat.

RWD

[Pootnaigle]

Ummmmmmm I worked in the south. A line foreman was resposible for several crews most consisting of just two people.Larger jobs requiring many people would be contracted out and the contractors were kept working on an " as needed" basis. Back alleys and off road stuff is just a part of linework.Some is even done out of a boat.While there is specialized equippment, its very expensive and is moved from one location to another on "the greater need" basis.
Utilities must have people available for emergency work 24 hrs a day.Thus they maintain a small group of linemen and servicemen. During major storms such as an ice storm or a hurricane, Linecrews from other utilities as well as contractors are called in to quickly restore service.The bigger the storm and the more widespread the outage the further away they come from. Often out of state crews are called in. I assume co-ops work in a similar fashion.
Communication is usually limited to radios and cell phones. However not all utilities radios will work in anothers area.When that happens at least one member of the host utility will accompany the foreign crews and have a radio available.He can act as a go between with the utility and the foreign crew leaders.He can also serve as someone knowledgeable of the area where they are working,( how to get there, where its fed from,and coordinate material needs)He need not be a lineman but could be a meter service person or any of a host of other classifications within the host utility.

[Highplains Drifter]

We use Satellite Phones where there is no cell service. Communication at all times is very important in case of an emergency and or switching.

[NotALineman]

Thank you for your responses, i know you are all busy. When i first chose my character's career, I intended to gloss over it, only offering the few details i knew, but as I have learned a little, I have gained a lot of respect for what you do, and would like to include more, but it's a complicated job, as I'm sure you know, and i'm completely ignorant of it.

If you don't have a foreman, who would be "in charge" of the job?

If you are in an area not accessible with a truck, how would you get everything to your worksite? I'm assuming you would walk and carry some items, but how would you transport, say, a pole?

Would it be possible that a 3 person crew could be working to repair lines damaged by a storm, and find that they need something they don't have, requiring one person to leave. The site, and go back to the truck, etc., while the other two stayed at the site?

[NotALineman]

We use Satellite Phones where there is no cell service. Communication at all times is very important in case of an emergency and or switching.

Thank you for your response. Is this pretty standard that all crews would have? And they never fail? Would it be kept on your truck or on your person?

Please forgive my dumb questions, and thank you all for your patience i really want to understand as much as possible.

[Pootnaigle]

In the case of needing something they dont have its been my experience that they would either call in and request it to be delivered while they continue to work with what they do have. Or they would find a safe stopping point and all 3 head back to the storeroom as 3 men prolly would all be in the same truck
There are several ways to physically move a pole . one is a pole dolly, a device with wheels that fit under the pole and it can be manually shoved around to the desired location, Another way is to use a bull line out to a block and back to the pole, as the line is tightened by the truck winch the pole heads straight for the block.Ive seen one or two floated in.
There are carts made to haul Transformers back into an alley also. Other than poles and Transformers everything else can be carried by hand even if it requires several trips

[NotALineman]

Pootnaigle and RWD, thank you for the insight into the structure of different types of companies, before i started researching, i never realized all the different set-up. Possibilities.

[LostArt]

Would it be possible that a 3 person crew could be working to repair lines damaged by a storm, and find that they need something they don't have, requiring one person to leave. The site, and go back to the truck, etc., while the other two stayed at the site?

During storms(like hurricanes) you might have several birddogs. Birddogs usually organize and take those other crews from all around, and out of state, to the locations which they are to work. They also make sure everyone has what they need. Usually the birddogs(what I have noticed) end up being superintendents or foremens.

What I find interesting is how the larger power companies organize a huge storm. I can't even imagine what happens on the side of a mountain.

[Highplains Drifter]

You need to do more research....... click here. (http://www.linetracinc.com/files/TDArticle708.pdf)

[NotALineman]

You need to do more research....... click here. (http://www.linetracinc.com/files/TDArticle708.pdf)

Thanks so much for the article.

[Divemaster]

If you don't have a foreman, who would be "in charge" of the job?


At our small Utility, we all respect each other in our abilities and the responsibilities that each of us has that may be different than another. We all have our titles but most of the time that is all that they are. For example: One Journeyman is our inhouse mechanic, another is also an arborist, yet another is a licensed electrician and myself, I'm the one that is in charge of taking care of the switching orders, substations, metering, and still helping out any other crew that needs me.

If the Supervisor isn't around, the Foreman fills his shoes and I become the Foreman, and so on down the line. We more or less work off of the experience theory. The one with the most experience in that one task or the entire project may be the one in charge.

Also. Lineman Lesson #1: There are no stupid questions, only stupid mistakes.

[duckhunter]

Okay, i'm most confused about a couple of things...

1. Coops-utilities-outsourcing to contractors...everytime i think I understand, i find that i don't. I read something about how coops and utilities typically employ only a few linemen as foreman/supervisors and use contractors mostly...how does that work? Are ther coops that would have solely employees, rather than using contractors? I am especially interested in a rural area, such as appalachia/eastern ky.

2. If such a case existed, how many men, or crews would that foreman feasably be supervising or responsible for, both on a specific job and overall?

3. What would be the procedure for working on lines not accessible with a truck? Equipment, etc.

4. If you are out on an emergency call, do you have someone dispatching, etc and available in an office with whom you keep in contact via radio, etc? I'm assuming it would be possible to be in a semi-remote area where you could possibly have no cell phone or radio reception, would that be accurate?

1) Sort of depends on the size of the co-op and the work that needs doing. Some work plan jobs may require equipment a co-op doen't own. In that case they may hire a contractor do do it. In some cases the co-op does part of the job and a contractor finishes. Especially in this economy, without a lot of new construction going on, contractors are very willing to work differently than normal. We have in the past had contractors on our property around the calendar. But there was lot's of work then. We're doing almost all our own work now.

2) We don't have foremen at our co-op. If the crew is more than 2 people, there is a crew leader.

3) Put on your hooks and get your butt up the pole, unless it's a safety problem. Then we would likely rent a tracked bucket and or digger. If that doesn't work, you may set a new pole by hand and climb the new pole to reansfer equipment. That work would be done with the line dead and grounded.

4)Our dispatchers check with the crew every hour. There are very few locations we do not have cell phone reception. If we are going in such an area we let dispatch and the supervisor on-call know ahead of time.

[handline126]

NotALineman, check out poleset.com for remote control and remote areas. They look like time and labor saving machines, not to mention safer in hilly areas.