By Rachael Kvapil
One internet meme declares, “The most popular linemen in America are not in the NFL.” This is especially true when there is a power outage. Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) lineworkers gear up and head out into all kinds of weather conditions at all hours of the night to restore power to Interior communities. April 18 is Lineworker Appreciation Day, and GVEA is proud to honor its longest-serving lineworkers who provide emergency services to the members.
Ian Wiedmaier says it was a complete happenstance that he became a lineworker. When he first contacted the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, he only knew that lineworkers worked on poles and power lines. But he quickly learned that responding to outages is the priority, followed by troubleshooting, conducting new service connects, and replacing old power lines.
“I had no clue what I was getting into,” Ian says. “But it worked out the best for me.”
He says the work is challenging and rewarding. Despite the inclement weather and days working in high places, he is here to stay. In 2021, after 13 years at GVEA, Ian temporarily moved to the Pacific Northwest, only to return to Alaska a year later. He says Alaska is his home.
Josh Parsons started his 14-year career with GVEA after reading the job description and determining that working outside fit him well. While weather conditions can sometimes present a challenge, Josh says distance is another factor for lineworkers. Since Interior communities are spread out, lineworkers often travel for consecutive days to provide services and manage outages.
“One day, we’ll be in Healy, a few days later down in Delta, back in Fairbanks, and then head out to Cantwell,” he says.
As snow loads push trees onto power lines, Josh emphasizes that people should not address the problem themselves. Instead, they should send a picture to GVEA, so they can figure out the best way to address the problem.
Joe Waggoner is no stranger to trees on power lines. In his 16 years at GVEA, he has cleared his fair share, including 1 that caught fire after touching a live wire. Though he describes himself as an adrenaline junkie, he says GVEA provides everything necessary to handle intense situations safely.
“Stay away from down power lines,” Joe says. “Call GVEA. Downlines may not look energized, but they could be.”
Joe trained as a lineworker with the encouragement of a friend who had already started an IBEW apprenticeship. He considers GVEA his extended family and plans to stay until retirement.
Ian Olesen agrees with the adrenaline junkie moniker but says lineworkers are also about safety. After 14 years with GVEA, he says it’s essential to stay focused in an unnerving situation. Although outages are common emergencies, he says teams also respond to accidents that involve cars hitting poles.
“A car tangled up in down lines is some of the scariest stuff,” Ian says. “There isn’t any indication if the line is dead. The best thing to do is stay in the car while observers steer clear of the situation.”
Occasionally, lineworkers will also have to respond to structure fires that require them to de-energize a line before firefighters can spray water. He says it’s these kinds of intense situations that lineworkers train for from the start.