SGTC Alumni Blake Thomas excelling with Georgia Power

   South Georgia Technical College Electrical Lineworker alumni Blake Thomas had always had an interest in being a lineman and now seven years after graduation, he is living his dream as a Georgia Power lineman.  He was featured recently in an article about “Everyday Heroes” by HHJ Sports Editor Joshua Miller.

   “I’ve always had an interest in being a lineman.  My biggest thing is I love working outside.  That’s number one for me.  Being outside you see something different every day, you’re in different locations and you meet a lot of people,” said Thomas, whose love for working outdoors led him to pursue a career as an electrical lineworker with Georgia Power and become an “everyday hero.”

   Thomas said that in Georgia Power’s “Top 5 Reasons to Become a Lineworker,” brochure, the first line asks, “Do you like adventure? Prefer to work in the outdoors?”  He answered yes to those questions, and his job is a reason so many people have power right now.  “When devastating storms or gusting winds knock out the power, Thomas is one of the individuals responsible for your light and power suddenly switching back on while in a dark house,” wrote Joshua Miller.

    Seeing a lineman work on a pole may seem simple, but what they do in that bucket, 50 to 60 feet in the air, is risky.  “Linemen work in teams and are briefed before every job, go over safety steps, and cover anything out of the ordinary,” explained Miller.

   “One small move could determine whether you go home or not that day,” said Thomas.  “It’s very dangerous, but as long as you do everything you’re supposed to do, you can go home at the end of the day.”

   To become qualified to work as a lineman, Thomas completed an eight-week program at South Georgia Technical College in Americus.  Then he had to undergo an apprenticeship and when he completed it all, it was one of his favorite achievements.

   “Making lineman and making it through the apprenticeship program – to me – was a big accomplishment.  You learn from all of the guys you work with and they teach you a lot.  There’s a lot of information that is through at you every day,” added Thomas.

   Thomas’ line of work presents something new practically every day, and the extensive training and apprenticeship process has prepared him for the vast variety of calls he may get.  He could do a simple task in nice sunny weather one day or must restore power in the middle of a thunderstorm.  “Every situation and every outage case are different.  You can have a squirrel crawl up and cause the lights to go out and we simply refuse a transformer.  Or you can have ten broken poles to get to one customer.  That takes a lot of manpower and a lot of hours to get their power back on,” said Thomas.

    The most favorite part of the job for Thomas is “just seeing the joy from the customers once you turn the power back on.  Seeing the customers happy when you’re just doing your job makes you feel good about what you do.”

   Thomas may not be stopping criminals or saving lives, but he and other linemen like him, are doing a great deed that often goes undervalued, until the power is out.  Not everyone views a lineman as a herol until they see them in their neighborhood turn the power on that been out for days.

   “The people that live in Perry still call him when they’ve got a question or emergency or something,” said Thomas’ supervisor Wade Simpson.  “A lot of people won’t do stuff on their own time.  But Thomas has always reached out to us to say, ‘Hey this customer call, and I knew him when I worked in Hawkinsville’ and he’s actually gotten in his truck to get that problem solved on his own time and I just thought that was above and beyond what a lot of people do.”

   Thomas genuinely loves what he does.  He’s been with Georgia Power for seven years and is proud to be a lineman.  “When you like doing what you’re doing, it make it a lot easier to get up and go,” said Thomas.  “To me, this isn’t just a job – it’s my career.”

   Individuals interested in the Electrical Lineworker Apprentice program available at South Georgia Technical College should contact Tami Blount at 229-931-2040 or tblount@southgatech.edu.  For more information about one of the over 200 associate degree, diploma, or technical certificate of credit programs at South Georgia Technical College visit the website at www.southgatech.edu.  The college offers in-person and on-line classes.  Registration for summer and fall semester is currently underway.  For more information contact the admissions office at 229-931-2394 in Americus or 229-271-4040 in Cordele.