Electric linemen and broadband workers with Riviera Utilities practice pole top rescues of an incapacitated co-worker, played by a 180-pound dummy, in
Daphne last week.

The event is one of an array of technical and situational trainings the linemen undergo monthly through Electric Cities of Georgia, a nonprofit specializing in safety and training.

“It’s good to get a different perspective,” Robby Howard, Riviera Utilities line crew supervisor, said of working with ECG. “These guys are training multiple utilities in multiple states and can bring us situations and practices that we may not have seen here.”

Only the most experienced linemen earn the title Journey Lineworker, following 8,000 hours of on-the-job training in a formal apprenticeship program and six years of experience.