When a major storm knocks out power, and the damage is too overwhelming for a local co-op to handle on its own, other co-ops come to the rescue — sometimes from states away. They arrive in caravans of utility vehicles with military-like precision as part of a plan called a “Mutual Aid Agreement.”

The response in these situations can start days before it even happens, with co-ops tracking weather patterns that could knock down poles. They organize themselves under their own state associations, planning for how many line crews might be needed and where they will come from, even making hotel reservations to house crews.

In addition to the careful planning and procedures, there’s another secret ingredient to why co-ops come together in a crisis so effectively — the lineworkers. When they head out to a storm-ravaged area, it’s with a serious kind of excitement as they prepare to use their skills for a cause they passionately believe in — restoring electricity.

Last month, with Hurricane Helene, 40 lineworkers from Indiana’s electric cooperatives, including four from Decatur County REMC, traveled to Georgia to assist local co-ops. The crews worked briefly at Cobb REC in Marietta but were quickly reassigned to Jefferson Energy Cooperative, which had experienced catastrophic damage, leaving nearly 100% of its service area without power.

When Decatur County REMC received the call to assist, Brian AmRhein, Caleb Litmer, Donnie Scudder, and Paul Trenkamp did not hesitate to raise their hands. Having received similar help in the past, it was their way of giving back.

“It is a pride of workmanship,” says AmRhein. “There is this sense of adventure to it, but there is also the sense of responsibility that this is what we do. We get the lights back on.”