NLC Week 8

Week 8 was a lot of fun! Competency week!!!! Started Monday morning off with two more 100% test grades which meant 2 more stickers for the hard hat. Monday in the Climbing Pit it was good started the day off with doing 6 up/downs in the allotted 8 minutes, then after lunch knocked out the single crossarm. Both competency's done on the first attempt. Tuesday in the Distribution Pit I got the EPZ Grounding competency done on the first try, it wasn't pretty, but it was done correctly and under time. Wednesday in Transmission I got a personal best time on the competency and knocked off 5 minutes off my best time. Thursday we helped the guys who were still needing to get competencies signed off. GREAT WEEK!!!

NLC Week 7

Week 7 has come and gone. I got two more 100% scores on last weeks tests so that was a great way to start the week out. Class work was more Basic Electrical Theory and Working on lines and Equipment. Monday in the Climbing pit we practiced our competencies which included changing out a crossarm in under 7 minutes, climbing to the top of the pole and circling around to the other side and getting back to the ground in under 40 seconds and finally preparing to do the 5 up/downs in 7minutes. I was able to complete the crossarm change out with a few seconds to spare. Tuesday in the Distribution Pit we practiced our EPZ Grounding competency which has to be done in less than 35 minutes. I finally got it under time so that makes me feel pretty confident. Wednesday was pretty interesting; we got our first rain while out in the field so that added a small degree of difficulty. In the Transmission Area we continued to practice replacing aside-stack insulator mounted to the side of a 55 foot utility pole which has to be done in 25 minutes, I did it in 18 minutes so I felt really good about that one as well. Thursday was tests in the morning and a full day of fun in the rain!

NLC Week 6

This week was the best so far! The bar has been raised though. The week started off good with two more 100% test scores…More stickers for my helmet. Monday in the Climbing Pit we began we started off with up-downs then moved on to learning how to “wreck out” a crossarm and install a new crossarm and insulators...The catch…It has to be done in 7 minutes. Time starts when you gaff in to the pole and time stops when your feet touch the ground. It was a lot of fun! My first time was just over 10 minutes. We also have to go up the pole circle around the top to the other side in 40 seconds. My first time was 55 sec. I changed my climbing technique and dropped it down to 41 seconds. Thankfully, we have three weeks to practice. Tuesday in the Distribution Pit we began learning how to change out insulators on the poles without crossarms and setting up an EquiPotential Zone (EPZ) which connects all the phases and neutral to ground so in the event of the line becoming energized this creates a direct short in which the fault current is diverted around the lineman working on the pole…SFETY FIRST! And my new crew won a skills builder competition…Another sticker! Wednesday was our first day in the Transmission Area. It was a little intimidating and exciting to look up at the 55 foot poles when all we have been climbing are 30 foot poles and only to the top of those for about a week and a half. The instructions were simple…Go up, belt over the bottom and middle insulators and climb up to the top insulator…TWICE! After each climber climbed twice, then we could begin practicing removing and installing the side-stack insulator. The first climb went well. It was slow; I stopped about half way up to get my senses together and get to the top. Finally, I made it and then came back down. The next climb went a lot faster, I was still a little nervous, but it was fun. After our group finished, I got to go up and practice taking the insulator off and put it back. My first time up, I did it 6 minutes under the required time….WOOOOO!!! Thursday was a couple more tests and another county fair so we rotated through the stations and practiced our new found skills…What a great week!!!

NLC Week 5

Another week gone by! Getting back into the "student" mind set after having nearly two weeks off was interesting. Waking up at 4:30 a.m. seemed really early after sleeping in until 7:30. Tuesday was great though, I got two more A's on the tests I took before Christmas break. We also finished the Fundamentals of Linework book and started in on the Working on Lines and Equipment book. This week was also the last week of the Electrical Systems book. We start the Basic Electrical Theory book on Monday. Class was good, but the field was better. Climbing Pit for 6 hours is a lot of fun. We began the day warming up and getting back into the rhythm of climbing then after lunch it was all about getting more competencies signed off. Climbing up and over the front of a crossarm, doing the 6 foot lean out and climbing to the top of the pole. All were first time "GO's" and then a couple of us got to go make an obstacle course on a pole to climb over and practice transitions with our secondary lanyard. We ended the day doing "up-downs" . Wednesday was the usual classwork, then into the field at the Distribution Pit getting more competencies signed off. The competencies were framing a utility pole which meant installing crossarms and insulators, tensioning a utility pole guy wire and running the boom on the line truck through an obstacle course. Another fun day in the field. Oh yeah..."Squirrel" took our NEW class flag to the top of the 80 foot pole, he was the first of the term to climb it...The other class wasn't to happy about it. Thursday was review day for both classes and then off to the field this time we were in the last day of the Underground area getting signed off on making up 200 amp Load-Break Elbows that plug into the transformer. After that was done it was Vault Rescue Certification time. The rescue dummy didn't respond when I called his name so I had to go in after him! After everyone in my group finished we went over to the Transmission area and watched the instructor demo changing out an insulator. He did it at about 5 feet, we will be doing it at 55 feet...I can't wait. Friday we tested and then had our first "evaluations" of the term. I got great marks and all the instructors comments were positive and encouraging. What a great week.

NLC Week 4 (and Christmas vacation)

What can I say? Week 4 was AWESOME!!! Christmas break was Great as well. We are really picking up speed now. Started the week off on Monday by getting the test results from the week 3 tests…Two more A’s so I can’t complain. We began the last week of the Linework Fundamentals book and the second to last week of Electrical Systems. In the field, we did up-downs in the Climbing Pit and worked on going over the backside of obstacles on a pole and continued working on basic climbing skills a little higher up on the pole and building the confidence in our new skills and abilities. On Tuesday we had more class time and my group was in the Distribution Pit rotating through the stations which included,  tensioning guy wires that attach to the utility pole and the ground, operating the boom on the linetruck and maneuvering a transformer through a maze, using a different boom to raise a transformer up to a person working on a pole and framing a pole on the ground. Wednesday was more class time then my group was in the Underground area working on the Primary side of the transformer prepping conductors, making up load-break elbows and working with the hotsticks. Thursday was test day and then County Fair rotations through all the stations practicing what we did all week. Only we were finally allowed to go up to the top of the poles…FINALLY! It was a burden lifted off everyone’s back to finally go all the way up and get a feel for what climbing is all about. It was a great week!!! Friday began our Christmas vacation, which my wife children and I drove down to Los Angeles to be with family. It was a much needed vacation. We drove back up to Sacramento on the 29^th and had a nice quiet New Year…By that I meant we were fast asleep by midnight…So HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can’t wait to get back to school and continue learning about a trade that is so vital to our everyday life. I found a sticker that I like it reads “EVEN FIREMEN NEED HEROS” and had a picture of a Lineman on a pole. Lineman are a very special breed, selfless and hardworking individuals with type 1 personalities. I am thankful that this is the career path I have been given and I cannot wait to join the ranks of men who serve their communities regardless of the hour, weather or given situation.

Reaching out the required 6 feet.

Going the "extra" mile at 93".

Cutting a piece of ACSR (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced).

Tightening the hoist.

All 190 Lbs on that handle.

Changing out the guy preform.

Travis is glad to be at the top.

Looking down at Spence from 30 feet.

Porcelain Line Post Insulator with a conductor.

Tools that keep me on the pole.