‘Trained and willing to help’

Lineworkers are superheroes who fight to keep power flowing no matter how tough the conditions. When severe weather rolls in or the lights go out, they mobilize. And their jobs are unlike any other – they chase storms, climb poles and work on high-voltage power lines.

Working in this dangerous profession requires constant safety training, so crews are prepared to respond in the event of an emergency. And while this training is intended for on-the-job emergencies, cooperative lineworkers are dedicated and ready to assist when members are in need.

For the past decade, Jason Bruner, Kyle Helmers, Terry Knutson and Joe Thomas have been the faces of Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative’s (BDEC) Kenmare line crew. During that time, the men have formed a strong camaraderie, which extends beyond the BDEC time clock. And that spirit of unity, loyalty and support proved valuable when they responded to three emergencies in 2023.
 

Jan. 26, 2023
It was a cold and windy January evening. A winter storm had blanketed the co-op’s service area with snow and ice, resulting in power outages and dangerous road conditions. As the sun began to set, the Kenmare line crew was heading home. But when Bruner and Knutson learned about a nearby car accident, they switched course. The two men rushed to the scene, where they helped the local sheriff perform CPR until first responders arrived.

“We started CPR almost as soon as we got out of the vehicle,” Bruner recalls. “Terry, me and the cop took turns. Then, the AED would shock him. It felt like a long time that we performed CPR. I think it was only 20 minutes, but it felt like an hour.”

The lineworkers also helped retrieve emergency vehicles, which had slid off the roadway into snow-filled ditches.

Sgt. Sam Mueller, Burke County Sheriff’s Department, says actions like these can be a matter of life and death.

“You never know when something drastic or traumatic is going to happen, and in rural areas there is no guarantee emergency workers will arrive in time. In situations like these, having someone trained and willing to help can save lives,” Mueller says.
 

June 16, 2023
On June 16, 2023, the line crew was working on an overhead to underground line conversion at a member's home near Kenmare.

“Everyone was heading home, but I decided to stop by the house to let the member know we were going to be shutting off their power the next day,” Bruner recalls.

As he approached the home, he heard a woman calling for help. Bruner quickly radioed the co-op and asked them to call 911. Hearing the call, his crew came back to help.

“We turned around right away,” Thomas says. “When we got there, Jason was trying to find a way into the house.”

After gaining entry, the lineworkers did everything they could to keep the woman – who had been lying in pain for three hours – comfortable while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

“We got her settled down, gave her some water and called her husband. And Terry talked with her the whole time. He sat with her, and they talked about everything,” Thomas says.

A few weeks later, the woman called the co-op to share her appreciation, saying she was convinced she would have been “toes up” without their help.

“It doesn’t surprise me that they were willing to lend a hand,” says BDEC Operations Foreman Eric Sieg. “Everybody always says, ‘You have such good people.’ And they’re right. We do. I feel honored to work with individuals who are willing to help out when someone’s in need.”
 

June 17, 2023
The next day, Knutson again demonstrated outstanding character and commitment to his community when he climbed the Bowbells water tower to help a worker who was trapped inside. The contractor was performing maintenance in the bowl of the tower when he was overcome by heat and fumes.

“He tried climbing the rope ladder to get out, but he got halfway up and slipped and fell. It was a pretty big fall, probably 30 feet. He couldn’t make it out after that,” Knutson recalls.

Using his lineworker training, Knutson climbed the water tower to help firefighters set up a rope and pulley system, which they used to bring supplies up to the tower.

“I had a firefighter ready to go up, but Terry offered to go,” says Dylan Benge, fire chief, Bowbells Volunteer Fire Department. “I pulled one of my guys out, because I figured Terry, with his lineman experience, was a better fit for the job. We sent him up there, and he pulled the rope line up with him and sent it back down through the pulley system we had established.”

Together, Knutson and the firefighters used a winch line, which was mounted on a rescue truck, to hoist the worker from the bowl of the tower to the top. Once outside, he was able to regain his strength and descend the tower.

“Terry set out that day to do a good deed and make sure that guy lived to see another day,” Benge says. “A lot of people congratulated him on a job well done. But he didn't do it for the publicity. He was thinking about somebody else. It was a selfless act.”
 

An elite group of co-op employees
On Jan. 11, the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) recognized Bruner, Helmers, Knutson and Thomas for their heroic actions. As recipients of the Life Saver Award, the men join an elite group of cooperative employees. Since it was first awarded in 2011, the Life Saver Award, which recognizes heroic actions that contribute to life-saving efforts of another person, has only been presented to 11 employees representing three North Dakota electric cooperatives — BDEC, North Central Electric Cooperative and Verendrye Electric Cooperative.

“In an emergency, every second matters. It’s an honor to recognize these electric cooperative lineworkers, whose heroic actions demonstrate outstanding character and commitment to community,” says NDAREC Executive Vice President and General Manager Josh Kramer.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear hard hats, steel-toe work boots and a climbing belt.

“Whether they’re at home or on a job, they drop what they’re doing and come help us if we need it,” Mueller says.

The people of Kenmare can sleep well at night knowing these real-life superheroes – their local lineworkers – are ever vigilant and ready to help whenever the signal calls.

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Krista Rausch is a communications specialist for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. She can be reached at krausch@ndarec.com.