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23 May 2012
Bryon Sandridge and Chris Allen, two Central Virginia Electric Cooperative journeyman line technicians, were recently awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award on the recommendation of the NRECA International Foundation, an organization that organizes cooperative utility relief efforts.
In 2011, Allen and Sandridge spent several weeks in Haiti training linemen how to climb utility poles with climbing hooks and belts and how to work safely in an energized environment. Many Haitian linemen were using ladders and had to de-energize power lines while working to restore a distribution system that was severely damaged by a powerful earthquake in early 2010.
Upon their return, the linemen created the “Boots for Haiti” program that encourages linemen to donate their used steel-shank boots for use by Haitian linemen who most often wore tennis shoes to work in the Caribbean nation.
CVEC Board Chair, H.T. Brown, and CEO, Gary Wood presented the award to the linemen during the May monthly meeting of the Board of Directors, thanking them for their volunteer service to fellow utility workers. Chris Allen commented that his son has a signed award from the President for physical fitness and now he could go home with his own award signed by the President.
Chris and Bryon are two long-time employees at Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, a member-owned, not-for-profit, electric utility serving the rural portions of 14 Virginia counties, including Fluvanna.
