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Author’s Note By James Pratt I


spent several days meeting with Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC) members and following OEC crews around as they


worked to repair the damage after the Moore tornado. As an observer, two things really made an impression on me.


OEC Linemen Effi ciency I was amazed at how the OEC linemen tackled electrical repairs like a Formula 1 pit crew. As they would pull up to a broken power pole, the team would jump off the truck with barely a word to each other. They might be joking or talking about baseball scores or their kids, but everyone knew exactly what needed to be done and tackled the job like a well-oiled crew who had worked together for years— which is exactly what they have been doing. The boom operator would swing the pole- handling the boom into place while a lineman on the ground hooked up the broken pole to the boom line. Hand signals were used to lower the boom, hook to the pole, and extract the broken remnant from the ground. Meanwhile


two other members of the crew were readying the new pole with a crossarm and ground strap. A lineman in a bucket truck would swing up to the remnants of the pole still attached to the lines, remove the broken pole, and ready the lines for connection to the new pole. Within what seemed like 15 minutes the crew was dropping a new utility pole in place, hooking up the wires and loading up to move to the next pole. Tools were tossed and caught midair without a word said. Each person knew their job and the jobs of the other team members. It was obvious these guys had worked together many years and knew exactly how to get things done in minimal time.


OEC Member Satisfaction Before I went out to work with the OEC crew,


I was handed an OEC shirt and hat and jokingly told, “Be careful, people don’t like it when their power is out.” I was pleasantly surprised as I talked to OEC members and I found just the opposite to be true. OEC members loved their linemen. Every


person I spoke with—without exception—had high praise for OEC and the line crews working to restore power. Many had been OEC members for many years. One person jokingly commented, “I didn’t know anyone else made electricity.” I was thanked profusely for the hard work of


the OEC crews—so much so that I felt uncomfortable accepting the praise, knowing it wasn’t me who was doing the work. I was just a writer and photographer documenting the hard work these crews were putting in to restore power to their members. I explained this to them and they would say, “Be sure and pass our thanks on to the crews and the management at OEC.” Two comments summed up the relationship OEC linemen have with their members. OEC member George Cruz said, “We love


those guys.” And OEC District Lineman Gary Jones said about OEC members, “These are my people.” Without argument, anyone can say these feelings are mutual.


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