Moapa Valley Progress
Most people would be apprehensive about a job that is routinely on the top 5 most dangerous careers in the country; a job that involves climbing to extreme heights and routinely handling high voltage power lines. But for Mesquite resident Jarron Linge, it is exactly what he wants to do for a living.
At the age of 19, Linge is eager to enter a path leading to the career of an electrical lineman. All the hazards and dangers that come with that trade don’t bother him in the least.
“It is fine by me,” Linge said of those hazards last week. “I’m just wanting to jump in and get going. I want to be one of the guys who are out there keeping the lights on.”
Linge has spent the last 10 weeks in a special internship program at Overton Power District. He actually finished up his internship period at the end of last week. During the internship, Linge has had the chance to try out a number of various roles and see how the district operates as a whole.
Of course, it is no surprise that his favorite rotation was working with the line crew. During that time he got to assist the OPD linemen in some of their ongoing projects. Of course, as an intern, he wasn’t allowed to climb any poles or work with live power lines. But he did get to observe quite a lot of that kind of work from a distance. And he assisted hands-on with some of the safer tasks.
Linge said that he was impressed most of all with the strong culture of safety observed by the OPD line crews. The OPD has an exceptional safety record, going nearly 10 years now without a lost time accident. Linge noted that each morning the line crew holds a safety briefing to start the day. This is a chance for the team to preview the projects that they would be working on and analyze them in advance for safety precautions.
“There are real dangers that these guys face every day,” Linge said. “So it is important that everybody is on board with what they will be doing that day.”
“They are a great group of guys.” he added. “They are always looking out for each other; making sure that everyone comes home safe at the end of the day. They pretty much live and breath safety throughout their day.”
Linge also spent rotations working with the district substation team, meter reading department, engineering staff and even in the accounting office.
“It has been an eye-opening experience for me moving around the company to see how everyone works together to get everything done,” Linge said. “It is interesting to see all of the different roles that have to come together to do all the business of the power company.”
The son of Duane and Kim Linge, Jarron was born and raised in Mesquite. He graduated from Virgin Valley High School in 2016. While in high school he was heavily involved in athletics playing basketball, football and baseball for the Bulldogs.
Linge said that he loves to be in the outdoors and likes to stay active. So the prospect of a lifetime of office work following four years of college was not too appealing to him. But he was interested in returning to Virgin Valley to work and to live.
It was a relative that turned Linge on to the idea of being a electrical lineman. Linge said he followed up with some career research on the subject and was immediately drawn to the idea.
“It is working outside, it involves physical activity, if there is an emergency you are there on the spot to fix it, and you work with a team where you really form a bond with your co-workers,” Linge said. “I thought that it was just my kind of job.”
Last fall, Linge attended a trade school program at Northwest Lyman College in Meridian, Idaho. The four month course of study was specifically designed as a lineman’s school. The students in the program gained hands-on training with the tools of the trade. They became certified in climbing power poles. They learned the techniques for first aid and pole top rescue. And Linge came out of the program hoping to land an entry-level groundsman’s position in an electrical utility. This job is considered a first step to becoming a lineman.
Of course, his first choice would be to get a spot back home, at OPD. But there were no immediate positions open in the small rural utility. However, district officials were looking to fill a number of temporary internship positions. These positions had been approved by the OPD board of directors earlier this year. So Linge gladly accepted one of those positions.
Now that Linge has finished his internship, he said that he will continue to apply for full time positions in the electric utility industry. The OPD experience has broadened his perspective somewhat and he has applied for an open position at the district that is not on the line crew. But he said that he is also applying for groundsman positions at utilities throughout the region in Nevada, Arizona and Utah. He hopes that he will soon be on the path to his dream career.
The OPD has more internship positions to fill, for young people who may be interested. The OPD board approved the internship program with a dual purpose. Firstly it was to support and develop the youth in the community who were interested in a career in the electric utility field. But secondly, it was to bring value back to the district through a youth work program as well as nurturing a stronger employee pool for the future.
“It is a good approach for the district to give back to the community this way,” said OPD supervisor Bruce Hughes. “(The interns) get to see the various aspects of keeping a $35 million per year utility going. That can be an eye opening experience to see that. Also, in some cases these internships can fulfill a requirement for college programs. The district gets an enthusiastic and reliable employee for several weeks. Plus we can get acquainted with local young people who are interested in working in our field. It is a win-win.”
The OPD still has internship positions open for the current fiscal year. The district is accepting applications from candidates who may be interested in working in any of the various roles that it offers. For information, or to apply, candidates can go to www.opd5.com. Or drop by one of the local office locations for an application. Applicants must be enrolled in a college or technical program in Accounting, Business, Engineering, Construction or related field.
