Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Kosciusko REMC (KREMC) linemen Josh Fitzgerald, Cody Kindle and Nick Iden competed in the Indiana Electric Cooperatives (IEC) Linemen Rodeo Aug. 20-21 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds, and Iden won third place in the Hurtman Senior Division event.
This two-day event brings together the best linemen from across Indiana together to compete in events based on traditional electric lineworker skills, according to a news release from KREMC. There are competitive events for apprentices, journeyman lineworkers and teams of three to showcase their skills and training. They are tested on skills such as pole climbing, hurt man rescue and safely changing electric line hardware, and they are scored based on excellence in safety, skill and speed. A total of 35 teams and 131 individuals from 26 Indiana electric cooperatives competed in this year’s event.
“Watching the KREMC crews compete at the IEC Lineman Rodeo was a truly satisfying experience. It was especially exciting to see our team compete in this event for the first time. They worked together as a team, demonstrated great skill and brought a strong competitive spirit to every challenge,” said Jon Justice, vice president of engineering and operations. “Seeing the crews put their training, teamwork and dedication into action was something to be proud of. They represented KREMC very well and showed that they were ready to compete alongside some of the best in the industry.”
The Hurtman Rescue event is a vital training exercise linemen practice regularly so they are prepared in case of an emergency, the release states. It involves climbing up a pole and lowering a dummy representing someone who could be unconscious on the pole. Iden was proud to win third place in this event while representing KREMC.
“IEC did a great job putting on the rodeo. The event was well organized, competitive and a great opportunity to recognize the skills and hard work of linemen. I’m proud of our KREMC crews and look forward to seeing what they accomplish in future rodeos,” Justice said.
