In April, Edgecombe-Martin County EMC’s line technicians took part in our annual Pole Top and Bucket Rescue training—an essential part of OSHA’s required safety preparedness program.

This hands-on training ensures that each technician is ready to act quickly and effectively in an emergency. During the Pole Top Rescue scenario, technicians must respond to a simulation where a coworker is rendered unconscious at the top of a 20-foot utility pole. Fully geared and under time pressure, the technician radios for help, climbs the pole, secures and lowers a 170-pound mannequin, and begins life-saving procedures—all within a five-minute window.

The training also includes the Bucket Rescue simulation, where a technician must safely lower an “injured” coworker from the bucket of a line truck and begin CPR. While we hope these skills are never needed in real life, staying prepared through regular training can make all the difference in a crisis.

We’d like to give a shoutout to a few standout performances this year! Tyler Perkins completed the pole top rescue in just 2 minutes and 47 seconds, followed closely by Will Scott with a time of 2 minutes and 59 seconds. In the bucket rescue portion, Will Scott led the way again with 52.21 seconds, and Dylan Craft followed closely at 52.50 seconds.

We’re proud of all our line technicians for taking safety seriously and always striving to be ready for whatever the job may bring.