HELLO EVERYONE,
I THOUGHT IT WOULD INTERESTING IF I POSTED A BLOG ABOUT MY FINAL YEAR AS AN APPRENTICE LINEMAN, ALL THE DIFFERENT TASKS, STORM RESPONSE, OVERTIME CALLS, AND THE EVERYDAY CHALLENGES THAT AN APPRENTICE LINEMAN WILL FACE DURING HIS/OR HER LAST YEAR BEFORE BECOMING A JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN!!!
SO TODAY IS DAY ONE, APRIL 19TH, 2010. MY NAME IS DANIEL PUTNAM, AND IM 28 YEARS OLD. I HAVE BEEN IN THE AIR FORCE FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS AS A FIREMAN AND RECENTLY MY BASE LOST THEIR F-16'S AND MY JOB WAS TERMINATED SO I THOUGHT WHAT BETTER TIME TO GO AHEAD AND TRY THE ONE CAREER THAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN ~ BECOMING A JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN!!!
I HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF A THREE YEAR PROGRAM, AND I CAN SAY THAT THERE HAS BEEN PLENTLY OF CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PRETTY QUICK AT PICKING UP ON THE SIMPLE TASKS OF ANY JOB THAT I'VE HAD OVER MY YOUNG 28 YEARS BUT I WILL ADMIT, THERE'S BEEN MORE TIMES THAT MY BOSSES HAVE BEEN PRETTY AGGRAVATED WITH ME. THIS JOB DOESN'T HAVE ONE OR TWO SIMPLE TASKS TO COMPLETE ~ EVERY SINGLE SETTING IS DIFFERENT, SINGLE PHASE, THREE PHASE, UNDERGROUND, DISTRIBUTION, OR TRANSMISSION... THIS IS THE PART THAT MOST APPRENTICES STRUGGLE WITH, AND I'M NOT AFFRAID TO ADMIT THAT I HAVE HAD MY FAIR SHARE OF PROBLEMS TRYING TO RETAIN ALL THE INFO WITHOUT HURTING MYSELF OR OTHERS AROUND ME.
I RECENTLY BECAME WHAT IS KNOWN AS A HOT APPRENTICE, I CAN DO ALL THE WORK IN THE AIR OR OFF THE POLE WITH ENERGIZED CONDUCTORS AROUND...WHICH INCLUDES CLIPPING IN/TIE'N IN THE CONDUCTORS OR INSTALLING NEW PRIMARY CONDUCTORS, INSTALING NEW POLES AND SO ON.
THE COMPANY I WORK FOR IS AMEREN, AND THEY ARE THE SECOND BIGGEST ELECTRICAL COMPANY IN ILLINOIS, NEXT TO COM. ED. IN CHICAGO, BUT AMEREN COVERS MORE OF THE STATE THAN COM ED DOES.
I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY THE NAME OF HILLSBORO, I HAVE A TWIN BROTHER WHO IS ALSO A APPRENTICE LINEMAN BUT HE WORKS FOR HENKELS & MCCOY IN TENN. I HAVE TWO OTHER BROTHERS AND TWO MORE SISTERS. MY FATHER PASSED AWAY WHEN I WAS IN THE 8TH GRADE BUT I STILL HAVE MY MOTHER AND SHE RE-SIDES IN HILLSBORO.
I LOST ONE OF MY FRIENDS DUE TO A DROWING ACCIDENT A FEW YEARS AGO AND HE HAD JUST COMPLETED HIS FIRST 16 WEEK APPRENTICE COURSE AND WAS WELL ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING A JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT JOSH IS THE REASON THAT MY BROTHER AND I HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE OUR APPRENTICE PROGRAM A SHOT. WE BOTH ATTENDED SLTC, SOUTH EAST LINEMAN TRAINING CENTER IN TRENTON GEORGIA. IT'S A 16 WEEK CLIMBING SCHOOL THAT STILL TEACHES KIDS TO FREE CLIMB WOOD POLES AT HEIGHTS OF UP TO 70 FEET IN THE AIR. THEY TEACH THE BASICS OF ELECTRICAL THEORY, AND GET YOU READY TO START YOUR APPRENTICESHIP.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO START. I SHOULD MENTION THAT A FEW OF MY FUTURE PLANS ARE TO MOVE WITH-IN CITY LIMITS OF THE COMPANY I WORK FOR, I HAVE BEEN ENGAGED TO MY HIGHSCHOOL SWEETHEART JENNIFER NOW FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND WE HAVE BEEN SAVING UP FOR OUR WEDDING.
I WILL TRY AND LOG IN TOMORROW AND FILL YOU IN ON WHAT ALL HAPPENED AT WORK, I HAVE A RODEO TO COMPETE IN ON SATURDAY, I WILL BE TIMED IN THE HURTMAN RESCUE, SPEED CLIMB, AND A FEW OTHER TESTS THAT APPRENTICE'S GET TO COMPETE IN.
AS FOR TOMORROW, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE CHANGING OUT TWO SINGLE PHASE CORNER POLES, ONE HAS A SLIGHT ANGLE AND ONE WILL NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER ANCHOR INSTALLED. WE WILL BE WORKING IN A SMALL TOWN NEAR INDIANA CALLED BISMARK. WE HAVE BEEN CHANGING OUT POLES THERE NOW FOR ABOUT A MONTH.
ALRIGHT, IM OUT FOR THE NIGHT ~ THANKS FOR READING AND HOPE YOU ENJOY,
HURTMAN DAN
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