Every year, we take the time to thank our extraordinary lineworkers who dedicate their lives to keeping the lights on in our local communities.

Locally, 14 lineworkers maintain over 900 miles of energized line in Steuben County REMC’s service territory, and without them, our world would be dark.

We depend on our entire staff to keep Steuben County REMC running smoothly but on April 10 we honor the lineworkers who often find themselves in dangerous and challenging situations so our lives may be a little bit brighter and safer every day. These brave men repair damaged lines and maintain critical infrastructure for our communities. They restore power, maintain the grid, build new service and more. Often, they are the first responders during storms and other catastrophic events, working to make the scene safe for other public safety officers. Without their hard work and commitment to the job, our co-op would not thrive. No matter the time — day or night, weekday or weekend — if the lights go out, so do they.

Perhaps you have seen them raising their bucket trucks in howling winds and torrential rains, or in freezing, icy conditions. They risk life and limb, working around the clock near high-voltage power lines until electricity is restored to every member in our co-op community.

In addition to aiding members in our local service territory, lineworkers are always willing and eager to volunteer when a neighboring community, county or state is in need after a major outage occurs. Several local linemen have volunteered to help in disastrous situations from north to south, helping out with ice storms in the upper peninsula of Michigan down to cleaning up the devastation from Hurricane Katrina’s wrath in Louisiana.

Our lineworkers are brave, committed and critical to our success. They spend much of their time away from their homes and families to ensure the comfort and safety of our members and our community. We hope you will join us in thanking the many lineworkers — both locally and around the world — who light our lives. Remember: Your power works because they do!

Use #ThankALineman on social media to show your support.