CINCINNATI - The lights go out. You see and hear tree limbs falling. Power poles and wire once powering your home lay on the ground.
The service that powers the lives of your family is no longer there.
This is the potential scene when summer storms roll through or severe winter weather changes the landscape of our daily routines. This is when the lineman goes to work, in the worst of weather and conditions, with a steady focus on the hazardous job at hand.
"We work in some of the most brutal travel conditions which often makes storm restoration work even more challenging," said Joe Garcia, a Duke Energy lineman based in Cincinnati. "Joining forces with other linemen to get power on for our customers after severe weather is one of the most rewarding and gratifying parts of my job. Power is something we all need, want and expect, and to see the faces of our customers after completing the job and seeing homes light back up after a powerful storm, it makes it all worth it."
In a resolution marking March 31, 2015, as National Lineman Appreciation Day throughout Ohio, Gov. John R. Kasich and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor encouraged all Ohioans to join in recognizing the efforts of linemen in keeping the power on and protecting public safety.
Ohio Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) and State Sen. Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) signed a letter from the Ohio Senate recognizing National Lineman Appreciation Day, declaring it only appropriate to pay tribute to linemen throughout Ohio and across the country for their tremendous contributions to our communities.
In a Letter of Commendation from the Ohio House of Representatives, Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) and State Rep. Timothy Derickson (R-Oxford) saluted Duke Energy for its recognition of National Lineman Appreciation Day. They further lauded the lineman vocation, noting that the enthusiasm and devotion to duty of these men and women have earned them the respect and gratitude of the communities they so capably serve.
"Duke Energy linemen put their lives on the line every day with little recognition from the general public. Its only appropriate that we pay tribute to linemen throughout Ohio for their tremendous contributions to our communities in recognition of National Lineman Appreciation Day," said Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley.
More than 5,000 line workers are part of the Duke Energy family. They, along with thousands of contract line workers, construct, operate and maintain equipment and more than 295,000 miles of power lines that deliver electricity to more than 7 million customers across its service territories.
To participate in honoring line workers and their families across the country, use the hashtag #thankalineman in social media. But more importantly, if you see a line worker today, thank them for their service.
For more information about Duke Energy's line workers, follow @DukeEnergy and visit www.facebook.com/DukeEnergy.
Photography and b-roll available upon request.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com