Celebrating Lineworkers in Florida

On Aug. 26, utilities state-wide celebrated Florida Lineworker Appreciation Day to honor the men and women who risk their lives daily to ensure reliable delivery of electricity throughout Florida.

For example, Ocala Electric Utility (OEU) has 117 employees who serve about 54,000 customers in the Ocala Electric Utility service territory. The company honored its employees Thursday with an appreciation breakfast.

The Florida House of Representatives in 2012 voted to designate Aug. 26 as the annual “Lineworker Appreciation Day” to honor the thousands of men and women who risk their lives every day. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has consistently listed utility line work as one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.  

“OEU employees are dedicated to providing safe, reliable service to our community,” said Doug Peebles, Ocala electric utility director. “We take pride in our work, and I am honored to set aside this time to recognize and show appreciation for our employees’ impact on our community.”

The men and women who serve as lineworkers aid not only their communities but others across the state and country. When disasters strike, lineworkers leave their families and homes to travel to neighboring cities and states – and even abroad – working long hours under dangerous conditions to help restore power.

To mark the special day for Florida lineworkers, utilities featured video clips of their linemen and created celebratory posts on social media. To check out the posts, look for social media hashtags #ThankALineman, #LineworkerAppreciationDay, #FloridaLineWorkerDay and #LineLife.

To show further support for Florida lineworkers, the state's residents can also order the Thank a Lineman speciality plate. Two years ago, the Florida Legislature created this license plate.

For each specialty license plate sold, $25 is donated to the Lake-Sumter State College Foundation to support student scholarships for electrical distribution students at Lake-Sumter State College in Central Florida.To learn more, you can visit the Web site.