Powerful Competition Proves Fruitful for City Electric
Tallahassee Apprentice Wins First Place; City Earns Safety Award
March 14, 2018
The City of Tallahassee gave an electric performance at the annual Florida Lineman Competition over the weekend, walking away with top honors in the apprentice division and a safety award.
Coordinated by the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), the Florida Lineman Competition was held March 9-10 in Kissimmee. The rigorous statewide contest is held each year to demonstrate the varied skills of line workers from electric utilities throughout Florida and Georgia.
Justin Johnson, an apprentice who has been with the City’s Electric Utility since April 2014, won first place in his category. Apprentice line workers have four or fewer years of experience and competed on an individual basis. Participants were judged on skill, efficiency and safety by performing a variety of typical line worker tasks.
The City’s Electric Utility received a Safety Award. This honor demonstrates the City’s commitment to protecting workers’ safety, while also ensuring reliable electric service to customers. For the Safety Award, utilities are placed into categories according to their total man-hours worked and rewarded for the most incident-free records. In an industry where serious injuries and fatalities are inherent, safety training is the best line of defense in preventing accidents and saving lives.
“Linemen frequently perform their job in dangerous conditions, like pelting rain or extreme temperatures,” said Rob McGarrah, general manager of the City’s Electric Utility. “Their commitment to safety is paramount. Receiving this award speaks to the City’s dedication to putting safety first.”
For more information about the City’s Electric Utility, visit Talgov.com/YOU or call 891-4968.
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