ATHENS-Members of the Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission visited Athens Utilities today to learn about the Electric Department. The students held 55 pounds of gear that linemen wear, learned how a pinprick size hole in safety gloves could lead to injury or death when working on power lines, and discovered that snakes, hawks carrying dead rabbits and squirrels cause power outages as well as lightning strikes, falling trees, and vehicle accidents.
Donnie Powers and Nick Sandlin show Youth Commissioners the gear they carry and explain how they had to work 20 hour days during the recovery from the 2011 tornadoes, and 16 hour days during the recovery from the 2014 tornado.
Youth Commissioners hear from James Gray how staff monitor the electric system throughout Limestone County and work with crews on location to help ensure their safety.
Some of the members with Youth Commission pose with an Athens Utilities bucket truck.
