Hot Line Construction crew, from left: Journeyman Lineman Jesse West, Groundman (and shop steward) Donald Keller, Journeyman Lineman Matt Thompson, Foreman Sean Corbin, Journeyman Lineman Brett Parker and Apprentice Sam Reavis
On a warm day in mid-July, an IBEW 1245 outside line crew from Hot Line Construction was dispatched to address a rotten pole in the Fair Oaks neighborhood of Sacramento. The job — which required replacing a three-phase corner pole in the backyard of a home on a large property — was ordinary, but as is often the case with utility work, the devil was in the details. In this case, the crew could not use heavy machinery to get the new pole in, because it would have badly damaged a customer’s property.
Using a backyard machine, the crew took extra care to protect the customer’s lawn
The crew meticulously planned how they would execute the pole change-out while causing as little harm as possible to the lawn. They used a backyard machine to bring the pole in, carefully mapping their route, and taking down a fence for access. Letting wire down was the easy part; digging the hole and extracting the pole butt from the ground proved to be less straightforward.
“As far as working the pullout itself, we’re going to be taking a clearance, testing, EPZ grounding, dropping the wire out, topping the pole and then getting the phone off, being mindful of changing strain through the whole process,” explained Foreman Sean Corbin, a 13-year member of IBEW 1245. “We make sure to mark conductors and identify, so they go back the same.”
The most unique part of the process was the dig. Unable to bring in heavy machinery, they would use a vac-trailer — essentially, a pressure washer to dig the hole, and a vacuum to suck the hole.
Even factors like dirt can impact decisions they have to make to get the job done right. As Corbin explained, “Sacramento is unique in the fact that it gets really hot here. And the ground in Sacramento is either sand, or river rock… So it’s a challenge to dig.”
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For Corbin, the path to becoming an IBEW lineman wasn’t a lifelong dream. Instead, it came as a result of pressure from his family. Corbin’s brother-in-law is a lineman and was persistent about Corbin entering the trade.
“Eventually I gave in and went through a climbing school, the VISTA program up in Spokane, Washington, and then got entered into the California apprenticeship in 2008,” said Corbin. He has not looked back since.
Foreman Sean Corbin
Being part of the union is the cherry on top of a rewarding career for Corbin. “The Union has been a blessing in my life. It has allowed me to work and have my wife stay at home and be with my children. And not only that, it gives me a job that I enjoy. It’s challenging. And it’s also very rewarding.”
He summed up the project he was working on in a few simple guiding words: “Our whole goal is to be safe, productive, and efficient.”
That is also the commitment IBEW workers make to every single job they do, and to each other.
Photos by John Storey
