Have You Thanked a Lineworker?

Some first responders wear hardhats.

National Lineworker Appreciation Day is a day to show our gratitude for electric workers who light the way for all of us every day. Dedicated electric workers always show up, especially when others are hunkered down, keeping Long Island and the Rockaways running. In recognition of National Lineworker Appreciation Day, this past Tuesday, April 18th, we’d like to take the time to introduce you to one of these heroes, Herbie Plummer.

Commitment.

That’s the word that comes to mind when we think about our colleague, Herbie Plummer. Herbie is an emergency services specialist at PSEG Long Island and his commitment to his job is evident. He’s part superhero and part detective. His job requires physical strength and stamina, and also intellectual muscle – imagine hanging on a utility pole or being lifted in a bucket 60’ in the air while working on high voltage electricity. Investigative skills are also necessary to locate and repair the source of an outage that could be on the closest pole or two miles away.

“I’m not leaving ‘til the lights come on – and I’ll do it as quickly as I can.”

Herbie Plummer, Emergency Services Specialist, PSEG Long Island

Herbie describes his job simply: I get the power on. However, his job is anything but simple. If it’s raining, snowing, an ice storm, wind storm or the hottest day of the year, Herbie is on the job – getting the power back on. When he arrives on site – whether it’s for flickering lights at one home, a downed utility pole, a blazing house fire or a destructive motor vehicle accident, Herbie’s mantra is always the same: “I’m not leaving “til the lights come on- and I’ll do it as quickly as I can.”

Shift work is demanding. Your days off always change and the time of day you work changes too. Though Herbie has missed countless weekends with his wife and kids and has missed more than a few family gatherings, Herbie is grateful that when his kids were younger he was able to help coach their basketball and soccer teams through the Moriches Youth Organization where he lives. It helps knowing that when he’s away from his loved ones, he is making a difference in the lives of the people in his community.

We’d like to say thank you to Herbie and all of our dedicated workers for always showing up, especially when others are hunkered down. Thank you for powering Long Island and the Rockaways. We’re so lucky to have so many powerful heroes on our team.