National Lineman Appreciation Day

Every day there are men and women who enter extreme peril to protect our lives, and bring us all the conveniences of modern living. They dangle dozens to hundreds of feet above the ground on precarious harnesses, dancing between snakelike wires that, if improperly handled, can easily erase their lives in a massive jolt of electricity while simultaneously blacking out entire sections of the city. National Lineman Appreciation Day celebrates those men and women who put their lives at risk to keep the power flowing through our communities.

History of National Lineman Appreciation Day

Linemen have existed for as long as electricity has been a standard part of modern living. Without them there would be no power lines carrying electricity to our homes and businesses, keeping the lights on and the furnaces going, and ensuring that we have the warm glow of the TV to curl up around as the night creeps in. Linemen are often called to do their jobs in the most dangerous of conditions and facing the worst weather the world has to offer. After all, we rarely lose power on a windless sunny day, now do we?

Of course, even the best of conditions leaves them handling wires that carry thousands of volts of electricity pushing thousands of Amps (that’s the stuff that kills you) every day. But when the chips are down and Mother Nature is doing her worst, these are the people who will be out there restoring power, setting up emergency systems to carry us through, and putting life back in order when the storms have finally passed. There are 115,000 linemen in the US alone, which puts the fact that 67,000 of them responded to Superstorm Sandy into perspective.

How to celebrate National Lineman Appreciation Day

Start off by putting up a post with the hashtag #thankalineman to spread awareness about this incredibly dangerous but important job. Then be sure to stop and thank any of these intrepid heroes you see working along the roadside or in your community. You might also take some time to research Morse Code and Ezra Cornell, the very first lineman in the United States, and easily recognizable as the man that started it all. Whatever you do, be sure that you take some time to appreciate the fact that you live in a home with electric light, refrigerators to store your food, hot water, and electric heat to keep you warm in the winter. Without Lineman, none of this would be possible, so show a little appreciation on National Lineman Appreciation Day!