A day in the life of a lineworker

Ask any lineworker why they do what they do, and you’ll hear a mix of pride, purpose and a sense of responsibility that stretches far beyond the infrastructure itself. For a cooperative lineworker, dedication is woven into every part of the day. From the early morning safety checks to the late‑night outage calls, each moment is driven by a commitment to serve the KEM Electric Cooperative members. As we recognize Lineworker Appreciation Day April 13, we want to take you behind the scenes with the team who keeps our communities flowing with safe, reliable electric service.

Starting the day with safety

Every morning, the KEM Electric line crew is in the shop, gearing up for the day ahead. The shop is filled with a sense of purpose, as the crew reviews the work ahead with the foreman. Piece by piece, they gather the material they’ll need for the day, ranging from insulators tools and load the trucks.

Before the engines start and the doors roll open, the crew circles for a “tailgate” safety briefing. This daily routine sets the tone for each day and ensures everyone understands the potential hazards of the upcoming projects. Additionally, the crew does a 360-degree check of the trucks to ensure everything is running properly and materials are safely secured.

For KEM Electric, safety isn’t just a checklist. It’s the culture that guides every decision. Whether lineworkers are replacing a pole, making repairs or performing system maintenance, they approach each task with careful planning and teamwork.

“Safety is important, because I have a family always waiting for me at home, along with my co-workers who have their family waiting for them at home,” says Dillon Steinolfson, journeyman lineworker.

From there, the lineworkers grab the work plan, their lunches and head to the field for the day. Once on the road, the lineworkers use tablets to help them navigate directions to the jobsite, although most lineworkers know the service area like the back of their hands. Most KEM Electric lineworkers grew up in the area or have lived here for many years and are familiar with the landscape as well as the membership.

“I have come to know members better through outages and service upgrades and the outside programs that I donate my time to, such as Steele Fire and Rescue, Kidder County Sportsman’s Association and Masons and Shriners,” says Jake Zink, journeyman lineworker. “The best part of my job is helping others when they need it.”

Collaboration at the jobsite

When they arrive at the jobsite, the lineworkers gather once more to run through the plan for the project. During these “tailgates,” everyone has the chance to ask questions and offer suggestions before any work begins. The culture of trust and collaboration is something the crew members take seriously. They understand clear, honest communication is essential on every job, ensuring the work is done safely and everyone goes home at the end of the day.

“I value my fellow crew members’ reliability and teamwork. Also, their commitment to safety and looking out for one another. In line work, trust and accountability are everything. Everyone takes the job seriously and works as a team to get it done safely and efficiently,” says Kevin Horner, Linton area foreman. “When working together on jobs, safety, communication and trust are important. Everyone needs to understand the plan and speak up if something doesn’t look right. We depend on each other to follow procedures and stay focused, so everyone goes home.”

Serving rural communities

As an electric cooperative, KEM Electric serves rural communities. It’s no surprise many of the jobs happen near a cornfield or your home or in the pasture. Out here, neighbors look out for neighbors, and that spirit is what makes KEM Electric members truly unique.

KEM Electric members help our line crew beyond guiding the cooperative through voting. They are also there for the crew during unplanned situations.

“KEM Electric’s membership is always understanding and always willing to help with access during storms. Countless times, I’ve had members offer to move snow to access problems or pulling trucks out when stuck,” says Marty Messer, Steele area foreman.

Often, KEM Electric line crews face instances out of their control. Factors such as weather, animals and even accidents impact our system and may need us to pivot in a moment's notice. Outages don’t always wait for working hours, and KEM Electric lineworkers are ready to respond, even on weekends and holidays.

“We were working a frost storm over Christmas and it was around 6 or 7 in the morning. We had just energized a small tap that had a couple houses on it and when we drove past the first house, there were a couple young kids cheering and banging on the window. It made a guy feel pretty good,” says Tyler Schummer, journeyman lineworker.

KEM Electric members are always willing to help and make our employees feel valued during outages, especially those that are more challenging.

“During an ice storm around Christmas, we were patrolling a line, looking for problem areas, when we pulled into a yard and the consumer brought us out a big plate of Christmas cookies,” says Austin Ohlhauser, journeyman lineworker.

Restoring power, together

When storm outages roll in, it is all hands on deck, from our member services to our operations department. When the power goes out, KEM Electric employees are analyzing and working toward restoration as efficiently and safely as possible. Our member services team fields calls and ensures all outages being reported are put into our system, while our operations department is working with technology in the office to troubleshoot where the outage originated. KEM Electric employees work as a team to ensure an efficient process is in place to get electric services safely restored to homes and businesses.

“Storms and large-scale outages can be tricky. Conversations between crews and office personnel are typically held between cellphones and radios. All KEM Electric trucks are equipped with GPS, and office personnel can always see them on the map. This is critical during storms,” says Kirk Praus, journeyman lineworker. “Without proper communication, lines wouldn’t be energized as efficiently and lineworkers could be put in dangerous situations.”

Returning home

Lineworkers are no strangers to working long hours to ensure the job is done and members have a consistent, reliable flow of electricity. But after the job is complete, they look forward to going home to their families.

“Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends,” says Tyler Jacob, journeyman lineworker.

Linework is a demanding, yet rewarding, career that takes heart and a commitment to members, communities and their families. This commitment keeps lineworkers going to restore electric services to cooperative members during a windy, cold night. A lineworker’s job is essential, their service is steady and their heart is woven into every line they build.

“I became a lineman to represent a part of the production and maintenance of the power system in our rural community, to serve the community to the best of my ability and be as helpful as I can be to members and neighbors,” says Nick Nieuwsma, journeyman lineworker. “To me, being a lineman is a duty to keep the members’ lights on. Being a cog in the system that keeps the community operating and functioning well is important to me, working to serve with the purpose of providing power in a safe, efficient manner.”