Student Life

Electric Line Construction Students Attend Pole Rescue Competition

The Nash Community College Electric Line Construction Academy students had an opportunity to view the 2016 Pole Top Rescue Competition in Raleigh. The 15th Biennial Competition was held on September 27th in Raleigh at the NC Electric Cooperatives office. The Pole Top Rescue Competition tests safety and rescue skills of electric line workers at North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives. The career as an electric line technician requires them to safely provide homes and businesses with power. Line technicians have a variety of duties, including building, maintaining and repairing electric lines, poles and other equipment, such as transformers, regulators, insulators, meters and substation facilities.

The purpose of the Pole Top Competition is to focus attention on safety and rescue procedures. Four former Nash Community College Electric Line Construction Academy students participated in the Pole Top Rescue event. The former students who participated were: Jonathan Jacobs with Piedmont EMC, Josh Dixon with Pitt & Greene EMC, Austin Story with EnergyUnited, and Justin Francis with Roanoke EMC. Current Academy students were able to see firsthand how their training at Nash Community College is applied in competition and during on-the-job scenarios.

 

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Fall 2016 Electric Line Construction students with NCC Vice President for Instruction and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Trent Mohrbutter, NCC Vice President, Corporate and Economic Development Wendy Marlowe, NCC instructors, Jon O’Boyle and Brandon Shook, and NCC Recruiter/Retention Specialist Bebe Wall.

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Three generations of NC Electric Linemen: Tommy Duckworth, center; Wil and David Duckworth, current Academy students, and their dads Bobby and Jimmy Duckworth.