When severe weather hits, there’s one group United Power and its members rely on to keep the power on. On April 18th, we will join in celebrating National Lineman Appreciation Day, honoring the hard work, innovation and dedication of America’s electrical lineworkers. 

Linemen must be prepared to face daily situations that may be less than ideal, regularly tasked with resolving intricate and hazardous problems in unknown or perilous conditions. It requires a strong commitment to one another and doing dangerous work, knowing the fruits of their labor are often misunderstood or unrecognized. 

In the line of duty, the smallest mistake could be the difference between life and death. When our linemen lace up their boots, they understand the dedication they must have to safely complete their work in the quickest possible way. 

“Electric linemen are the backbone of what we do,” said Bryant Robbins, United Power Chief Operations Officer. “They go above and beyond on a daily basis, often in hazardous conditions far from their families, to restore power to their communities.”

Our linemen are on call 24 hours a day, ready to respond to any situation in any type of weather. So next time you lose power, rest assured a highly trained United Power crew is on the way, dedicated to getting the lights back on quickly and safely. 

“When the power is off, that’s when we’re at our best and it’s our time to shine,” said Mark Keith, United Power foreman. “We get out there no matter the weather, and get to work figuring out how to solve the problem.”

Regularly facing difficult situations, it’s no surprise electrical lineworkers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In 2017, electrical powerline installers and repairers were noted to have the 15th most dangerous profession. 

Without our linemen, the power that makes our member’s homes comfortable wouldn’t be possible. We invite our members to take a moment to thank our United Power linemen for the work they do. Use #ThankALineman on social media to show your support, or take a moment to drop a kind note in the mail. 
 

Greater Visibility for Increased Safety

While you’re out and about you may soon notice a new look on United Power’s trucks. Here at United Power, we think a lot about the safety of our employees, and of our members. We are always looking for ways to keep our employees safer in the field and on the job. One of our initiatives to increase safety is better visibility—both for our employees and our vehicles.

For our field employees, we recently traded in our blue uniform shirts for more highly visible yellow shirts with reflective stripes. For our trucks, you’ll soon see a bigger, bolder look making them more visible out on the road.

The new design includes a larger and more prominent United Power logo, so members can more clearly see us when we are working in their communities, or on their property. Incorporated into the design is a reflective vinyl material which will help make our trucks more visible. This will help to protect our workers who often are called out to work at night and during storms where visibility conditions are poor. We want you to know when you’re working with United Power and to know when we’re in your community—and we want to ensure the safety of our employees who are working hard for you

United Power will hold its 2018 Annual Meeting and Director Election on Wednesday, April 18th at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton. Ballots will be mailed to all members at the end of March. Mail ballots must be received at the Survey and Ballot Systems post office box no later than Monday, April 16, 2018. Members may also drop ballots in a ballot drop-box located at each of United Power’s offices by 2 p.m. on April 18, or vote in person at the Annual Meeting starting at 4:30 p.m.

All United Power members are invited to attend the annual business meeting of the not-for-profit electric cooperative and cast their ballots in the annual director election. Registration opens at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

United Power will host four free Meet the Candidate events so members can learn more about each candidate. More information about dates and times can be found here. Profiles provided by each candidate and detailed voting instructions are included in the ballot packets that will be mailed to members. For more information, visit www.unitedpower.com/annualmeeting or call United Power at 303-659-0551.

Directors run in geographic districts in order to accurately represent United Power members, but they are elected to the board at-large. Members are reminded to vote for one candidate in each of the cooperative’s four director districts.