Added: 3 years ago
From: jds07fz1
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  • Reminders of the good old days - 1966 pole climbing school, and we did just that - "Alright, everybody on a pole!" got all of the climbers that had lasted that long on one pole.

    And we planted a stub pole like that one with the crossarm near the end, and took turns standing on top of it while one of the guys lay on the ground at he base with a camera with a wide angle lens, made it look like we were standing on a 30 footer.

  • I go to Nash cc right now but I don't like what I'm getting into, I was wanting to learn more about this course. I'm not scared of heights at all and I want to learn a trade. Im 125lbs at 5''9 I was wondering if this would be a good career choice for me. I like working outside and working as part of a team. I want to start a family as well and I don't want to be working like 60 hours a week if I have a kid to take care of if anyone understands haha any suggestions?

  • i climbed poles and dug holes for years,no climbing school, hands on all the way,now i just inspect poles and make them safe

  • @yankeelineman

    Yeah. I started climbing for a telephone contractor years ago. No training there either. Just put on a set of hooks and have at it under the watchful eye of my foreman. But getting hired with a top utility is hard especially in todays economy. Schools like this tend to give prospective job hunters an edge over those with no training or experience. The schools won't make you a lineman but they will give you an edge and that's worth the price of admission, IMO.

  • I'am with MB Hydro and I have a four year apprenticeship, got my 25kv gloves in my second year, and do hotwork daily, climb 30 to 90 foot poles for distrubtion, sub trans work hanging 266 wire with 2/0 under build, bank poles are the norm. I love my job keeps me in shape and have great co-workers. on the job training is the way to go

  • @mugbug204

    Sounds like you love what you do. So do I. You're right about the OTJT. There really is no substitute for it but a good school with hands on training definately helps.

  • I might have to recertify :( When i climbed I "hitch-hiked" and now the company doesn't want that. Damn - why!? I noticed you didn't hitch-hike. Is that really such a bad thing? Why was it ok in 2004?

  • @pimpyourhideontube

    Some companies still allow free climbing. Hitchhiking isn't much different because unless you're over the neutral or something else, and you cut out, you're going straight down most of the time. I enjoy free climbing the most. You can get to the work much faster that way by just climbing over or around obstacles. My employer however requires 100% fall protection at all times. I think most utilities will eventually if OSHA has anything to do with it.

  • going to these lineman schools is such a waste of fucken time and money, we ve had new guys who still dont know a god damn thing about how to use a pair of channel locks. you gotta want to do this, and not for the money, do it for the trade.

  • @lowlife1096

    You're right about one thing. This job isn't for everybody. It's tough work at times. And honestly, if a guys doesn't know how to use a pair of channel locks, he wouldnt stand a chance at making it through the school I went to. This particular school isn't like many of the others out there. You don't get to pass just because you paid your tuition. You don't pass the classroom parts or the hands on and you're history. Come to class late more than a couple times and you're history.

  • @MrFuCkThEbItCh

    Really? Do they teach you how to spell in that school?

    Any school worth it's weight is going to provide some sort of fall protection to new climbers.

  • all the colleges are a joke u pay them to teach u and when your done u arent even a lineman go through the union and get payed to learn and get some real experience SELCAT is top notch

  • @jlineman2008

    Really? Well this particular school got me hired at two different utiities. One within a month of getting out of school and another less than a year later. (I moved to take a job with a much larger utility.) I see guys looking union jobs on the lineman forums all the time. Practically begging for someone to give them advice on how to get hired. Haha. And by the way, the company that hired me....is union.

  • @bluntblaz3r

    Yeah. That's about right. The course is 16 weeks, 8 hours a day, 4 days a week the first 14 weeks than 10 hours a day weeks 15 and 16.

  • the gov needs to fine farmington new mexico for power and utility safety req cuz power is not the legal space from cable its only 1 foot away from cable and phone comcast need to step in about that before they ruin ther names

  • @ssstormfuhrer

    Are you saying the power utility is at fault? I find that hard to believe because most likely the cable and phone co. are leasing the space they have on the pole from the power co. Power is on the pole first and it is the phone and cable tv co.'s that have to maintain at least 40" clearence from the main line neutral. Maybe taller poles are needed but that wouldn't be the power co.'s fault if they were there first. Just a thought.

  • @jds07fz1 farmington they own the pole power and phone and they can get away with the space violation the only people who enforce the law of power and utility is the goverment i worked their for 5 days and quit cuz now 500 dallor check is worth my life

  • We only have Hard wood pole here in Australia, so no climbing with spikes. Instead we nail or screw in steps when we are dressing them to enable us to climb later on if need be. Would love to have a go at climbing the way you guys do.

  • kewl....but what the hell was that at 01:45 ! Maybe some type of hand-off stance for cross members?

  • @pimpyourhideontube

    Just showing off a little. Not a requirement in any school that I know of.

  • hi there guys, i hope you could help me apply, im also a lineman here in the philippines...

  • you only do that for the school...on the job your on a cherry picker like 98 percent of the time

  • @123nova

    Yeah...well I guess that depends on who you work for and where you work too. The guys I work with require me to climb ALOT. Almost daily in the beginning. We are also near the mountains and it's very hilly here. Lots of places you can't get a truck to so climbing is the only option at times.

  • @jds07fz1 hey.........123nova must refer all his "right of way" work out to contracters!

  • They're all in cherry pickers here these days.

  • I was one of fifteen people hired out of 1800 applicants for my current job! This school WILL help give you an edge over the competition. I was hired by a local utility one month after graduating and within six months I was hired by my current employer. Both companies said the training I recieved in this school played into their decision to hire me over the competiton.

  • @jds07fz1 I am attending the same class you graduated from and Bob mentioned you and how you were hired out of 1800 people! I just finished my first week, hope to keep it up! Any advice you have would be awesome!

  • Employers want someone with mechanical ability, common sense, no fear of heights, willingness to work, ALOT if need be and dependability. You've got to be available day or night and weekends. It's not negotiable. If you can handle that and you are pretty good with hand tools, able to work with BOTH hands while hanging off the side of a pole and you have a desire to learn the trade then that and this school will give you a pretty good edge over the average joe.

  • Start applying early for jobs and apply at lots of different places. Be willing to relocate if necessary so you don't limit yourself to one employer.

    Good luck with school and the job hunt.

  • Mr. JD, I noticed you said they want a man with mechanical ability, is this ability proven by the certificate you earned or did you have some prior mechanical experience along with it? Great video, Thanks.

  • @HSlaughterBell

    A certificate from an accredited school would definitely help considering you were actually doing linework while in training but it isn't required by alot of employers. If you're good with handtools or at least mechanically inclined, you'll probably be okay. 

  • NICEE BOB! its mark from EMC and Ayden. This is a great class and starting point if u want a career in linework. i tried for two years to get on a utilities, emc, union.... etc. thanks to the certificate from this class i got my foot in the door. Stick with it boys, she will PAY off!!!!!

  • Alrite man preciate the info imma keep digging deep cause it aint easy and we havent even got started good yet. LOL Up here check out Climbing an Electrical Pole. Thtll be a video of me doing my senior project on climbing and you'll see why its tough on me right now LOL neway man i'll tell him and hopefully ill be on a video like this at the end of the year.

  • Hey this is the same guy from the last comment i was on another account. so who do u want me to tell bob said hey? and just to make sure, you're saying that in order to pass this class and get 3rd class certificate u HAVE to pass the speed climbs i mentioned?

  • Tell him JD said hello. (the guy working for Duke), and yes you will have to pass those climbs to earn your certificate.

  • Hey man great video im actually enrolled in the class now and its going good so far. Quick question Did yall have to pass a speed test at the end before overhaed const. 1 and Underground Const. 1? Something like climb a 40 5 times in 10 minutes Hitch Hiking 3 times in 6 minutes and buck squeeze 3 times in 6 minutes? Thats wat Bob has told us just wondering if yall had to do the same. Oh and i finally understand the Cameron thing at the end. LOL

  • Thanks for the compliment and yes we did have timed climbs as you mentioned. Good luck...with the class AND Cameron!

  • ...and tell Bob I said hello.

  • we use pc4 for pole climbing. way safer

  • PC4?

    NCC teaches free climbing ,which alot of utilities are sadly doing away with. They also teach hitch hiking and how to properly use the Buckingham Buck Squeeze system. It's about as safe as you can get. If you adjust the belt properly, you simply can't fall. It's a good thing I guess. I'm not the biggest fan of it having learned to free climb long before this school but it is the future so you may as well embrace it and learn to do it well.

  • PC4 is a Pole Choker 4.... it's choking the pole if you fall... it prevent you from going all the way down... everyone in Quebec is using it.... it's the safest you can get...

  • Yeah, they use fall protection. It's a community college and the state requires it.

  • fall protection?

  • Nash Community has a great lineman program and it's VERY affordable. 100% of their graduates have been employed with utilities within 1 year of finishing school too.

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