Adams Electric Cooperative team takes first place at Lineworker’s Safety Rodeo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Line personnel from Adams Electric Cooperative participated in the annual Lineworker’s Safety Rodeo coordinated by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Fifteen teams from 12 electric co-ops and one municipal electric utility participated, along with seven others competing individually. The rodeo highlights the skills lineworkers use to work safely and efficiently.

Austin Aschemann, Brennan Caspermeyer and Garrett Kestner from Adams Electric represented their co-op at the rodeo held at the LLCC Line School Yard in Springfield. They competed by using skills focusing on agility, speed and accuracy. While these skills are part of the judging criteria, participants are judged on safe work practices.

The Adams Electric team won first place in the crossarm change event. Caspermeyer took second place in the crossarm change.

Line personnel competed in team and individual events including the 40-foot climb and hurt man rescue. The cutout change was a team event, and the day concluded with a head-to-head climbing challenge.

Scores for each event are based on completion time, proper execution of the task and safety. Deductions were made to a team or individual’s overall performance score due to mistakes such as slipping when climbing poles, dropping tools or executing inappropriate procedures or methods.

Adams Electric Cooperative is a member of Touchstone Energy — a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives. More than 700 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in 46 states are delivering energy and energy solutions to more than 30 million members daily. Adams Electric Cooperative serves more than 9,000 meters over 2,269 miles of line in parts of Adams, Brown, Hancock, McDonough, Pike and Schuyler counties. For more information visit adamselectric.coop.