Definition of First Responders May Expand to Include Utility Linemen
It’s hard to believe that utility line personnel are not thought of as first responders – electricity is an essential service, and someone needs to get things back up and running. Yet, these people are not classified as first responders? Give me a break. At least there is a new push to finally change this once and for all.
Bill Introduced to Revise the DHS Definition of First Responders
Currently, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 grants first-responder status to a variety of obvious candidates like the police and EMTs, but excludes utility line personnel. In my opinion, line crews are in the same category as these candidates because they too risk their lives to restore a life-saving service. Hopefully this blatant oversight is about to be corrected.
A bill was introduced in 10/20/20 by Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana to legally change the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) definition of “emergency response provider” to include utility line personnel. It’s been a long time coming, and I sincerely hope that the bill passes.
It makes sense that Senator Kennedy would choose now to push for this much-needed change, as the barrage of major hurricanes in 2020 has been devastating for Louisiana and its neighboring states. In Louisiana alone, over 8,300 utility line personnel are still, as of the time of this writing, working in disaster conditions to repair the grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta.
Utility line personnel are heroes, and they should be treated as such. Yes, the police and EMTs directly save lives, but so too do utility line personnel, albeit more indirectly. Plus, linemen benefit a much wider swatch of people, often restoring thousands of customers in one fell swoop.
I may be biased, but the bottom line is that utility line crews are first responders. It’s about time the DHS recognizes that fact.
A menber of my family is a lineman, he is exposed to Cobid every day….he has to deal with costumers and risk his life in all kinds of weather conditions…if the temperatures are below 0 degrees or over 100 degrees or he has to go though terrible living conditions or food shortages when a natural disaster occurs. He has to restore power rain or shine… the most important service of all.
It is so unfair that lineman are not considered First Responders. They work in crews that puts them very close to each other, they can’t work 6 feet apart sometimes to protect themselves from Cobid, furthermore their families also are exposed to the virus.
An electric company in NY State had 19 lineman in the same department contracted Cobid at the same time. Where these companies are going to get crews to restore electricity if their lineman are sick ? eventhough their companies have taking extreme actions to protect their lineman from Cobid.
This guys are out there facing danger everyday. I hope Mr. Kennedy”s bill passes and the lineman get the First Responders recognition that they deserve.
I can’t believe that they may not get the vaccine sooner than the regular population will, maybe by July 2021? who knows.
I have always thought linemen as myself should be classified as first responders . I started in the business right after the ice storm of 94 and have worked several other storms . It would be nice to have some of the same options as police and fire such as retirement.
My husband is a lineman in Missouri. They work in all weather conditions. They are out there after tornados getting lights back on, so the “fittest responders” can do theirs. They are out there even when the threat of another tornado is eminent. If a live wire is down who gets called to work on it so police and fire and emts can do their job? A lineman! He risks his life in a daily basis to make sure that hundreds of thousands of people are able to continue doing their jobs. I have no doubt at all that they should be labeled FIRST RESPONDERS!
Tim Dryer. I started in power line work in 1973. I have travel most of the country. We are first responders. When we show up we are the only people that are seen. No police, no fireman just us. I have slept in trucks, tents and motels with out water or electricity. I have bathed with just bottle water next to the bucket truck. Being a lineman is not for everyone. Can be -30 to 102, 16 hours a day far from home. Have never seen police or firemen working far from home with our hours and conditions. Yep. Linemen are special and we are first responders and that will not change. Count on us.
My husband is a lineman and I have always considered him a first responder. They are placed in dangerous situations that may not be visible. People do not realize that when storms come that they have to be at the starting location so when it passes they are ready to go. A part of their heart, wives and children, are left at home to weather those storms, many by themselves. Now my son has followed in his father’s footsteps.
I will say it again, YES! I consider them first responders.
I’m still in Louisiana, 9 months now.