Northland Connection: November 2024

Thankful for Our Strong Safety Culture

In October, the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) recognized Platte-Clay with their annual award for working safely. Our Cooperative has now gone over 1,310,800 hours without a lost-time accident. This number puts us at the top of all electric co-ops in the state. The formula used to calculate this can be complicated, but the hours add up to over 10 consecutive years.

I am incredibly proud of our entire organization for this accomplishment. It takes every single one of our staff members being committed to safety each day in order to make this achievement possible. It’s also a credit to our board of directors for enabling me to do the things necessary to make safety the top priority for the Cooperative.

Accidents are an unfortunate part of the industry, so we know at some point an accident will likely occur. It’s the nature of the work. When you’re out working in rough terrain in the middle of the night in a snowstorm, you don’t know if a guy will step in a ditch and twist his knee and be out six weeks. There are just so many unknowns our crews face. So, for me, this award is less about the consecutive hours and more about affirming our strong culture of safety.

Our culture of safety has been the culmination of a lot of intentional hard work. We spend a lot of time and money trying to prevent accidents. We do everything we can to promote safety because it is the right thing to do. Time and money aren’t worth a life.

For example, when it comes to restoring outages, many times there are short cuts or different options available to restore the power. The guys know the expectation is that we are going to do it in a safe manner and that management is OK if that means it may take longer. If it ends up taking another five-10 minutes, or even an hour to get them on, then that’s what it takes as long as we do it safely.

Another key component that has been instrumental to our safety culture is our employee safety committee. This committee, led by our Safety Director Jeff McCullough, meets monthly and features staff representatives from a variety of departments. I personally make it a point to attend each of these meetings. We have great discussions and oftentimes spirited and challenging discussions.

Crews are encouraged and feel comfortable sharing near misses or close calls. If we don’t communicate and don’t talk about the near misses and hazards that we deal with every day to try to make our processes better, then we’re failing. That’s what the committee is designed for. We continue to evaluate all of our processes to make sure we are getting better every day. I have implemented a lot of ideas and changes that have directly come out of this committee over the years.

From left to right, PCEC CEO/General Manager Dave Deihl, AMEC Vice President of Risk Management and Training Johnie Hendrix, and PCEC Safety Director Jeff McCullough.

We also make sure our crews have the necessary equipment and technology to do the job the right way. That’s one thing I don’t skimp on. I don’t skimp on things like trucks, lighting or new safety equipment that we know can help keep our guys safer. Not every electric utility equips their linemen with gear like personal voltage detectors that can prevent electrocutions. We just want to make sure our guys go home every night. That’s the bottom line — making sure we keep everyone safe.

During the course of the year, we have several different safety audits that we must go through, both in the office and out in the field. In the past, it was always a really big deal. We had to get ready for a particular date that they were coming. Now, our philosophy and culture is that we don’t really care when they come. Our expectation is to be ready every single day. Audit ready every single day. When you have that mindset, it shows that we’re not just getting ready for the big day, we’re ready for the big day every single day.

We try to be a model co-op and set that bar high. Like I said, at some point the no lost-time accident streak is going to end. But the culture won’t stop. The culture of what we do will continue to move forward. As long as we’re mindful and looking out for everyone’s best interests, we’re going to continue to lead the way and be OK.

Another important thing on my mind this month is our annual budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year. As I have mentioned in columns this year, the Co-op is facing increased wholesale power rates from our energy supplier next year. My team and I are currently evaluating what this will mean for our members, and we’ll keep you posted as we work through our annual year-end budget process with the board of directors.

PCEC Crews Assist with Power Restorations After Hurricane

Two different six-man crews of linemen from Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative deployed from Kearney, Missouri, over the last month to assist with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Georgia. The crews were part of a coordinated effort by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives to respond to a call for help from Georgia rural electric cooperatives.

“We’re proud to be among the many electric cooperatives that answer the call for help by our peers in Georgia as they recover and rebuild from the devastating storm,” said Dave Deihl, CEO and General Manager of Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative. “We believe in the cooperative values of helping each other in times of need.”

In total, 30 rural electric cooperatives from across the state of Missouri sent over 350 linemen to lend a hand with recovery efforts across the southeast. PCEC crews joined thousands of other lineworkers and personnel from across the cooperative family to fix the unprecedented damage Helene delivered in the Southeast, which left more than 1 million electric cooperative members in the dark.

“In situations like these when storms cause significant outages, we’re really first responders,” Deihl said. “We’re notified a week or better prior to storms to prepare plans. We’re organized through our statewide association. We have men lined up, we have trucks serviced and stocked up and ready to roll. Typically within 24-48 hours we can be on site working. That’s how fast we can respond. People want Missouri co-ops helping them. We have a great track record.”

Platte-Clay Electric foremen Aaron Wood and Tom Hale, journeymen linemen Chris Smith and Heath Buckler, and apprentice linemen Heath Maley and Conner Young departed Sept. 27 and were the first PCEC crew to arrive in Georgia. They spent two weeks helping rebuild lines in Metter, Georgia, for Excelsior EMC (Electric Membership Corp.)

A second PCEC crew departed for Georgia on Oct. 8, which included PCEC foremen Tim Cunningham and Mike Bigus, journeymen linemen Zach Key and Jake Fain, and apprentice linemen Ethan Cotten and Collin Gandy. This crew assisted multiple co-ops in completing their restoration efforts and returned Oct. 19.

The Category 4 hurricane, which made landfall Sept. 26 in northwest Florida, brough torrential rains and winds of 140 mph that ripped down lines, uprooted trees and flooded coastal areas. Though Helene weakened to tropical storm status as it moved through Georgia, damage in the state was still brutal.

Missouri’s electric cooperatives have a long history of lending a helping hand to its cooperative peers in trying times. It is an example of the sixth principle that guides electric cooperatives, which is cooperation among cooperatives. Platte-Clay’s most recent deployment responding to a hurricane was in 2021 when crews traveled to Louisiana following Hurricane Ida.

PCEC Foreman Honored with Lifesaving Award

From left to right, PCEC CEO/General Manager Dave Deihl, PCEC Foreman Jason Green, and PCEC Journeyman Lineman Jake Fain.

Jason Green, a Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative Foreman, was honored with the Lifesaving Award by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) at its annual meeting Oct. 2 in Branson.

Because of the nature of the work they do, electric cooperative employees receive extensive life-saving training. They hope they never need these skills but are prepared to put their training to work whether it is helping an injured employee or a member of the public. The AMEC Lifesaving Award was created to recognize those employees who take action to save a life.

On the morning of March 28, 2024, Jason’s coworker Jake Fain, a journeyman lineman at Platte-Clay, had mentioned a severe headache, which was unusual for him. While the two were grabbing lunch at a fast-food restaurant, Jake’s condition suddenly worsened.

As they left the parking lot, with Jake driving, Jake’s right hand unexpectedly shot forward and struck the truck’s keys. Jason glanced over, asking why Jake was messing with the keys, but received no response.

Jake failed to respond to questions or even acknowledge Jason’s presence. As they continued down the road, Jake began to mumble incoherently. Realizing the urgency of the situation, Jason repeatedly told Jake they needed to stop. When Jake didn’t respond, Jason had to physically grab his arms and direct him to turn off at the next road. With Jason’s help, Jake managed to pull into a parking lot, where Jason immediately called 911.

While on the phone, Jake exited the truck, still confused and clutching his right arm as if it were in pain. Jason performed a quick test, having Jake squeeze his fingers — he received a weak response from Jake’s left hand and no response from the right. A police officer and ambulance arrived shortly after, and Jake was taken to the hospital. Thanks to Jason’s quick thinking and training, Jake received the necessary care to reverse the effects of the stroke he had suffered.

Throughout this entire experience, Jason demonstrated tremendous poise and control in the face of adversity, relying on his training to save his friend’s life and career. Jake was able to take some time off to fully recover. He has since been able to return to full-time duty.

“This was a frightening experience to have to go through,” Green said. “I’m really grateful my training kicked in and helped me recognize what was happening so that I could share the stroke symptoms with the paramedics. I’m also grateful for the first responders who got there in an amazing time to get Jake to a doctor for the help that he was needing. We’re all really glad Jake is back at work now and doing well.”

PCEC Hosts Annual Blood Drive

Platte-Clay Electric hosted its annual blood drive Oct. 2 in partnership with the Community Blood Center. The blood drive resulted in 43 units of blood collected, which represents 129 lives that can be saved. The blood will be used locally in KC metro hospitals. Thank you to everyone who donated blood and helped make the blood drive a success.

The blood drive was held in October as part of National Co-op Month, which celebrates electric cooperatives throughout the country being not-for-profit, community-led utilities. All co-ops, including Platte-Clay, are guided by seven cooperative principles that embody the values and spirit of the co-op movement. The seventh co-op principle is “Concern for Community.” All cooperatives work for the greater good of the local communities they serve.

Holiday Open House

Friday, Dec. 6 • 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Chili Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Join us on Friday, Dec. 6 at the PCEC offices in Kearney or Platte City for our annual Holiday Open House. We will serve a free chili lunch between 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and have holiday treats available all day.

To assist those in need in our community, please bring a donation of gently-used or new coats and non-perishable foods. We will continue to collect these throughout the month of December.

PCEC Kearney Headquarters:
1000 W. 92 Highway, Kearney, MO
PCEC Platte City District Office:
15055 Bethel Road, Platte City, MO 64079

Save on Energy During Holiday Travels

If you’re heading out of town during the holiday season, remember to set your home to vacation mode. You can save energy while you’re away by lowering your thermostat a few degrees or creating an “away” schedule with a smart or programmable thermostat. Newer water heaters include a vacation mode setting to help you save on water heating costs, or you can simply lower the temperature manually.

Small actions can also stack up to energy savings. Unplug devices that consume energy when they’re not in use, including phone chargers, toothbrush chargers, TVs and gaming consoles.