OCALA, FL (352today.com) – “Your life is on the line every day.”
Duke Energy Apprentice Lineman Corey Sill knows that being a lineman requires more than blood, sweat, and tears–it takes passion and guts.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists electrical power line installation and repair as the most dangerous job in the United States.
To put it into perspective, the death rate of linemen is double that of a police officer.
In Florida, the job of a lineman is arguably deadlier than most. Last year, three hurricanes–Milton, Helene, and Debby—ripped a fierce lane of carnage through the west coast of Florida and up to the panhandle, with destruction continuing up to the Carolinas. Millions were left without power, some for weeks upon months, and the destruction remains prevalent today.
The clean-up process after such tragedy and loss is arduous, and Sill was one of the many linemen who had to step in and work around the clock on the front lines.
During the clean-up process, which involved dealing with downed wires and electrical poles, Sill says the most dangerous thing was keeping local residents out of harm’s way.
“The number of people that are congested into an area all have good intentions to help, but it feels like you always have to quadruple check when there are that many people around,” he says. “It’s already hectic enough with the number of tree crews and people with heavy equipment to move debris.”
He also mentions damaged trees, with branches loosely hanging overhead. “We call em’ widow makers,” he says.
The Gainesville native grew up on the city’s west side, near Newberry, and currently resides in Hawthorne. He’s been working for Duke Energy as an apprentice lineman for almost two years, a job he hadn’t considered until a couple of months before starting.
“I love what I do here… ever since I’ve been doing it, I’ve never had a passion for things like this,” says Sill, who describes helping people after the storms as “one of the better feelings I’ve ever had.”
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