Hotline School equips lineworkers to keep power flowing

As part of its mission to support North Dakota’s electric cooperatives in powering their members’ lives and the communities they serve, the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) will host its annual Hotline School May 19-23 at the Lineworker Training Center in Mandan. This essential training prepares apprentice and journeyman lineworkers to safely work on energized power lines.

“Hotline School is vital for the safety of our lineworkers and the reliability of our electrical systems,” says NDAREC General Manager and Executive Vice President Josh Kramer. “Working on energized lines is dangerous, but it’s often necessary to keep power flowing to electric cooperative members. This training helps ensure lineworkers can do that work safely and confidently, protecting themselves and their communities.”

When working on energized lines, lineworkers must follow strict safety procedures. Hotline School allows them to safely master these techniques. Through live demonstrations and hands-on instruction, participants learn how to safely work on energized lines – a skillset that helps prevent service interruptions during routine maintenance and prepares them to respond in situations when de-energizing lines isn’t an option. These critical abilities help ensure the safe, reliable delivery of electricity to cooperative members across North Dakota.

“Every time a lineworker responds to an outage in good or bad conditions, they’re showing an incredible commitment to co-op members and communities. Their dedication and skill keep power flowing to homes, farms and businesses, even in the most difficult conditions,” Kramer says. “NDAREC is proud to deliver this crucial training to the professionals who power all of our lives.”

NDAREC is the statewide trade association for 17 electric distribution cooperatives and five generation and transmission cooperatives operating in North Dakota. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to nearly 250,000 North Dakotans. NDAREC services include legislative advocacy, lineworker safety training, professional development, cooperative business development and communication services, including publication of the North Dakota Living magazine.