Holmes Electrical Lineman graduates aid in Hurricane Helene recovery efforts

Holmes Community College’s Electrical Lineman program is known for producing highly skilled lineman who are prepared for the demands of the job, especially during emergencies and natural disasters. A few of the college’s electrical lineman graduates played a crucial role in restoring power to communities in Florida and Georgia following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The Category 4 storm, which lashed the Southeast with 140 mph winds, left thousands without power, and Holmes-trained lineman were among those who responded to the crisis.

Devonte Ellis of Kosciusko was deployed to Perry, Florida, where he and his crew worked long hours, often exceeding 16 hours a day, to restore power to critical infrastructure.

“We drove to Perry, and it was a disaster,” Ellis said. “Hurricane Helene, being a Category 4 with 140 mph winds is one that goes down in history. We stayed in our bucket trucks or a nearby hotel waiting for the hurricane to hit. In Perry, there were over 100 poles down and broken in half. We saw trees on the lines as we drove by. People’s houses were destroyed by the storm.  You could not go down certain roads because there were lines down everywhere and you could not tell if they were energized or de-energized. We helped tree trimmers get trees off the line by hanging our grounds on the wire (phases).

“We stayed out one late evening for 18 hours to get a structure back up because the line was running to a nursing facility. Once we got that line that was feeding the nursing facility back up and running, people clapped, cheered us on and told us how much they appreciated us as we drove through the towns looking for the next structure to work on.”

Ellis reflected on his time at Holmes, stating that he would “100 percent do it all over again.” He explained that he learned from the best instructors, who taught him everything he needed to know about the trade. However, he emphasized that it’s up to the individual to truly commit to learning and enter the field for the right reasons. Working on storm relief reaffirmed why he joined the profession.

“Being on the storm showed me the reason I joined because I always wanted to help people out, fix their power and have their lights back on soon as possible,” Ellis said. “Then watch the city light up with joy after doing your job.”

Another Holmes alum, Jack Gannon of Vicksburg, was dispatched to South Central Florida, where his crew tackled high winds and flooding.

“My crew was sent to South Central Florida, where we spent a week working 16-hour days,” Gannon said. “We were not in the direct path of the hurricane, just right on the outskirts. The area definitely experienced high winds leaving every roadway and yard filled with fallen trees and limbs. Some areas we worked were flooded causing damage to the houses and leaving us wading through water to pick up the powerlines.”

Along with Gannon, three other guys on the crew in South Central Florida went through the Holmes Electrical Lineman program.

“It is a great school and I would do it again if I could,” Gannon said.

Mark Stewart of Sallis, yet another Holmes graduate, was sent to Augusta, Georgia, to help restore Georgia Power’s transmission grid. He is a fourth-step apprentice lineman for Irby Construction working in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

“I worked for 13 days, 16 hours a day, to restore parts of Georgia Power’s transmission grid,” Stewart said. “My experience on the storm was exciting. A lot of hard work went into getting power restored from my crew as well as the many other crews who also had a hand in fixing the devastation that the city of Augusta endured.

“One of the most complex tasks that the crew I worked with had to take on was a three-pole angle structure. The 230kv structure had a large tree fall in the outside phase and ultimately folded the first structure causing an outage. In three days, we were able to reenergize the line and move on to more down lines.”

Despite the hard work, Stewart said that he enjoyed his time in Georgia, especially the fellowship.

“Back in 2022, I would have never thought the lineman program at Holmes would have opened the many doors it has when I first started my powerline career,” Stewart said. “I recommend that anyone who has plans or thoughts of entering the program definitely make sure you are prepared for the hard work that comes with it, but it pays off in the long run.”

The Holmes Electrical Lineman program lasts 16 weeks and offers students hands-on training in pole-climbing, operating heavy machinery used in line work and earning their Class A Commercial Driver’s license. Students also learn CPR and First Aid, the National Electric Safety Code, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. The program accepts between 14-16 students per semester, making the entry process highly competitive.

Graduates like Ellis, Gannon and Stewart credit the program’s comprehensive training for their ability to perform in high-stress, high-stakes situations.

For more information about the lineman program, contact Workforce Coordinator Mandy Burrell at mburrell@holmescc.edu.