BOZEMAN — What keeps the power on? It’s the linemen and women who risk their lives, sometimes working 100 feet above the ground.
Cole Boss has been a lineman for over 18 years. He started in Washington and moved to Montana, chasing the excitement of the job.
It’s after hours, at night, on holidays, or when you’ve got a vacation planned. Everyone needs power, and they rely on us. That’s our job; it’s what we signed up for, says Boss.
But being a lineman involves more than just climbing power lines.
We do what carpenters, iron workers, welders, and even ditch diggers do. Plus, we deal with electricity, Boss explains.
The job is dangerous, and it’s something he thinks about, especially now that his son wants to follow in his footsteps.
My son wants to be a lineman like me, which is great. But it makes me think about things I didn’t consider when I was in my twenties, he says.
Boss has seen his share of danger over the years.
“I’ve seen equipment catch fire, experienced explosions, and watched a few guys get hurt, which is never good,” he recalls.
Recently, Boss reflected on the death of 28-year-old Lucas Fowler, a lineman for the Sun River Cooperative, who died on August 9. Fowler was working on a power line south of Conrad when the pole he was on collapsed.
Fourteen of the 25 cooperatives in Montana came together to honor Fowler. These member-owned utilities, along with NorthWestern Energy, paid their respects.
We have a close brotherhood, not just in the state but nationwide. When something like this happens, we come together to support the crews and the family, says Boss.
Ryan Hall, the communications director of Montana Cooperative Electric Association, shared a lineman’s words at the memorial: “Linemen across the country are a brotherhood; in Montana, it’s a family.
Last Saturday, Hall witnessed this brotherhood in action. The linemen stood by their trucks, waiting in the heat, with their hard hats over their hearts, to honor Fowler as the first car passed by.
Boss says moments like these remind him of the realities of the job.
It grounds you. You’re not invincible, so it’s important to remember the basics and stay safe, Boss says.
But despite the risks, he loves his work.
Yup, and we’re proud to do it.