FirstEnergy Recognizes Frontline Crews on Lineworker Appreciation Day

Wade Smith, President of FirstEnergy Utilities: "Lineworkers face hazards every day when they go up in their buckets, climb poles or work on underground power lines, but they don't hesitate to show up in some of the toughest conditions imaginable to safely get the lights back on for homes and businesses throughout our country. On behalf of all employees at FirstEnergy, we say a loud and proud 'thank you' to our men and women for their commitment and resiliency."

A video highlighting FirstEnergy's lineworkers is available on the company's YouTube channel.

National Lineman Appreciation Day was established in 2013 by congressional resolution to recognize the tireless work of frontline electric crews in restoring power after Hurricane Sandy.

Over the past year, FirstEnergy's nearly 2,500 line workers responded to several large-scale outage events in their home territories and provided mutual assistance to fellow electric companies in other parts of the country following national disasters, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

On Aug. 6, 2024, one of the most impactful storms to hit FirstEnergy's northeast Ohio service territory since 1993 spawned five tornadoes, a microburst with straight-line winds of 70-90 miles per hour and heavy rains and thunderstorms that brought wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour. More than 627,700 FirstEnergy customers lost power as the system continued across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. Within days, FirstEnergy lineworkers replaced nearly 500 poles, 231 transformers and 75 miles of wire, restoring power to 94% of the affected customers by Aug. 11.

Just over a month later, FirstEnergy crews hit the road to assist in restoration efforts in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Virginia after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Approximately 645 lineworkers logged more than 150,000 personnel-hours to help restore power to local homes and businesses in the wake of the storms.

Thanks to the efforts of these hardworking crews, FirstEnergy was recognized with the Emergency Recovery Award and Emergency Assistance Award from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) in February of this year.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than 6 million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: B-roll and media soundbites from FirstEnergy lineworkers are available for download via Dropbox.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.