Ryan Rollins is a Lead Lineman and has worked for KEC for 8 years. 

What made you interested in working for KEC? How did you train for work in this field?

Before working for KEC I worked for a vegetation management company conducting line clearance tree trimming in Montana, Washington and Idaho.

My interest in line work began while working alongside line crews from local utilities and contractors during storm restoration efforts. During my trimmer apprenticeship, I learned how to climb poles and trees, tie knots and practice rigging (pulling or lifting tools). This training prepared me to enter work in the line trade. 

What does a day look like for you as a Lead Lineman?

As a lineman my day usually starts with reviewing the crew’s assigned work. Then we gather any of the necessary materials, tools and equipment needed to complete our work and load it on trucks. On any given day we might be conducting electric equipment maintenance such as replacing aging poles, transformers or conductors. Crews may also work on road widening jobs and others are responsible for connecting new services. We are all ready to respond to any outages that may occur as the day progresses. 

Why might members see KEC crews on or near their property?  

Whether it is restoring power after a storm, performing maintenance or connecting a new service, we need to access all parts of our system. This access may be on your property or in your neighborhood. During outage restoration, crews must patrol lines in the area affected before restoring power for the safety of crews and the public. This means you may see us out and about in your neighborhood. We should be easy to identify with a KEC logo on our trucks and clothing. Crews also carry company identification badges which they are happy to show you. You may contact our office at 208.765.1200 to verify that an individual is a KEC employee. If you feel unsafe or threatened, please call local authorities.

Tell us about what happens if a crew comes across a backfeeding generator. 

Backfeeding generators are hazardous to line crews. Generators without the proper disconnects and transfer switches will energize a high voltage line that crews think is de-energized causing a potentially dangerous situation for linemen and the public. Whenever we encounter an improperly installed generator, we educate the owners of the hazard they are creating and remind them to install a transfer switch. A transfer switch prevents energy from leaving your generator and going back onto the utility electrical equipment. A qualified electrician should install your generator and transfer switch. 

What is the biggest challenge in your job?

Weather is one of the biggest challenges in my job creating difficulties during day-to-day operations as well as during storm restoration. Although most other hazards we encounter we control with our work practices and safety equipment, the weather is an aspect of our work that we can’t control. Freezing temperatures, ice and snow can turn an otherwise easy task into one that takes much more thought and preparation. 

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is my co-workers—we look out for one another and have a good time working together. The most important thing is that we all go home safe to our families each day.