Electric Utility Operations

Line Life Podcast: Taking a New Look at Hurtman Rescue Training

May 19, 2022

Listen to the May 2022 episode featuring Maximo Fuentes who shares best practices for training linemen to rescue injured workers.

Amy Fischbach

To keep linemen safe in the field, utilities and contractors not only provide training to new apprentices, but also to experienced journeymen. By providing annual refresher training, companies can make sure safety is top of mind for their entire field workforce.

To maximize the effectiveness of this training, especially when it comes to hurtman rescue, utilities can implement best practices and strategies, says Maximo Fuentes, owner of Fuentes Consulting LLC.

In the May 2022 Line Life podcast, Fuentes shares his experience with hurtman rescue training--both as a former supervisor for Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and now as a consultant. In his current role, he has worked with utilities to improve their hurtman rescue training so that if an emergency situation arises, the linemen know how to respond swiftly and safely.

To listen to the latest episode, click on the link below. You can also read a story by Maximo about hurtman rescue in the May 2022 Electric Utility Operations section.

If you know of an interesting person in the line trade who we could feature on a future episode of our Line Life podcast, please email Field Editor Amy Fischbach.

How to Leave a Voice Memo for the Line Life Podcast

Over the last year, we have released 13 episodes of the Line Life podcast. Now we want to hear from you. You can also send your comments and voice memos to [email protected].

To record a voice memo, you can do the following:

1. Open up the Voice Memo app on your smartphone.

2. Tap on the red button to start recording. Make sure you start by saying your name, title, company name and location. Then answer the question, "How are you training your linemen on hurtman rescue, and what are some of your best practices?"

3. Click on the circle with the dots. It is located in the top right of the title of your recording. You can then edit your recording. To share it with us, select the email option and send it to [email protected].

If you have any questions on how to leave a voice memo, you can email Field Editor Amy Fischbach or send us a written message, and we can create an audio recording.

Line Life Podcast: Now on Podbean
T&D World's Line Life Podcast is now on Podbean, and starting in January 2024, it is moving from monthly to weekly distribution. Follow us on Podbean to be notified when new episodes are available. If you have a suggestion for a podcast guest, email us at [email protected].

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Electric Utilities Operations

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade. She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected].