Life on the Line with Julian Francis

Life on the Line

Volume 1 Issue 1

The Countdown to Kansas begins...

Hurtman Rescue

Learn more about the events of the International Lineman Rodeo

Meet Julian Francis

The Only Female Lineman in the Caribbean

Julian Francis Journeyman Lineman I, KSAS Operations

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A good lineman is one who comes to work with all parts of his body and leaves... with all -Julian parts intact.

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Life on the Line (LL): For those of us who don’t know tell us what is a Journeyman Lineman?

Julian Francis (JF): A Journeyman Lineman I is a person who is responsible for one person at any time while performing any form of duties. Right now I do emergency duties or work on live lines (lines with hazardous voltage and posing a risk of electric shock are called “live”.) Emergencies include reports such as no electricity supply or broken wires. In relation to working on live lines you may have to repair defective poles or change broken poles without disrupting the power supply to the customers. While we do this we must use safety gear such as rubber gloves and sleeves.

LL: Safety is very important in JPS and we’ve seen that manifest recently with a regional award for the best safety performance in the Caribbean. Tell us, how long have you been at JPS?

JF: I have been with the Company, permanently for twelve years.

However, I started working with the Company in 1998 where I began as a casual worker for a year. Then I worked temporarily at Orange Street in Kingston for a while before I applied for the JPS Lineman position.

LL: You are the only female Lineman in the Caribbean. What made you want to pursue this career?

JF: While growing up as a child I actually fell in love with the craft itself while attending all age school in St. Catherine. From that early age I knew I wanted to become a lineman. I used to see the crews work in the area while heading home from school and I saw the guys climb the pole and it just fascinated me.

LL: So, no fear of heights?

JF: (Laughs) No, not at all and I told myself that one day I would become a lineman like them. Early in my career I started out working with a contractor and I spent four years on that team where I learnt the basics of the craft.

Although, I received the theory from JPS which offered pre-engineering at the time, I did return to school and pursued my pre-engineering course at the University of Technology (UTECH). I did that for about three months before Ivan hit the Caribbean

and then I had to go to Grenada to give assistance. When I returned to Jamaica, I left UTECH and went to Caribbean Maritime Institute where I completed my Associate Degree and Bachelors in Industrial Engineering.

LL: How do you balance work and family life?

JF: Well, my daughter is living overseas for two years so that works out well and she is a good student so I don’t have to police her in terms of doing her school work. On the other hand, my son stays with his grandmother while I work however on weekends or when I am off he’s with me.

LL: What do your children think about your job?

JF: My daughter Amarsha, proudly boasts about me and my son Sebastian is always excited and tells his teacher about the work his Mommy does.

LL: What was it like assisting Grenada after the passage of hurricane Ivan?

JF: Wow, when I first arrived there, everyone was surprised to see a female doing the work. However, the main challenge came from the terrain because it was very different from ours.

LL: Yes, Grenada is very hilly and have BUSH like crazy…

JF: Yes that’s it! (Laughs) You can say it again! Aside from the terrain though it was just regular work. We would be up by 6:00am and continue through until 11:00pm to restore power in the specific time and areas that they gave us.

On October 19, 2013, JPS will be representing Jamaica at the 30th Annual International Lineman’s Rodeo & Expo in Bonner Springs, Kansas. As the team prepares to bring home the gold, we will be introducing you to members of the National team as they countdown to and gear up for Kansas!

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The International Rodeo is not just about competition. It’s about meeting other linemen and learning the different ways they do their work.

-Julian

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Photo of Julian (on the ground) holding the line s of her fellow Journeyman Lineman as they work on a live line at the Jamaica Lineman Rodeo.

LL: Tell us about Kansas and the International Rodeo- when was your first year there?

challenge we may have is the weather conditions- we are affected when it rains and it is very cold.

JF: It was 2002 and once again the people were excited to see the first and only female participating and a black one no less! I can remember this lady named Lori she warned me that persons may say racial slurs and advised me not to feel anyway. But I am the type of person where nothing bothers me and thankfully there was no racial slur. The guys just walked past and said hello. In the years after that everything went well at each Rodeo. I recall in my fourth year of participating a young lady came up and told me she saw me on a video and said that it motivated her to participate. I really felt great when she said that- it meant a lot.

LL: Tell us, what’s the worst experience you’ve ever had on the job?

LL: Would you encourage other women to pursue the career path?

LL: What would have happened had he not been released?

JF: Definitely. Most of the time I encourage the guys to participate in the Rodeo, it’s not just about competition.

It’s about meeting other linemen and learning the different ways they do their work.

JF: He would have just stayed there till he dried out! The power would have drawn every fluid from him. Electricity goes to the brain first.

LL: What is the competition like? How intense is it and what are the events that take place there?

JF: When electricity passes through the body it affects your brain and does not allow you to think. So your brain cannot even function enough to tell your body to let go. If someone doesn’t come there and push you or hit you from it- it won’t let you go and you could die from electric shock.

JF: The competition for a Journeyperson will involve being part of a team that consists of three persons plus one for reserve in case of any accidents, which we pray does not happen. So you will have two persons who climb the pole and one who stays on the ground.

For the Journeyman team you have events such as the Hurtman Rescue and a Mystery Event. The Hurtman Rescue involves a dummy on the pole representing an injured lineman who was doing some work and is hurt. The team therefore has 4-5 minutes to get that dummy/injured lineman on the ground. The Mystery Event is where you do not know what the event is until the day before the competition and it can be anything from a transformer change to an insulator change. The Speed Climb is where you climb with an egg in your mouth and you have to climb and descend the pole in the shortest possible time without breaking it. You lose points if you break the egg or trip from the pole. The primary

JF: It didn’t happen here at JPS but where I worked before with the contractor. We had just completed the work and one of the guys went up back to make a tie on the secondary and the person went to close the transformer.

So his arm was between the phase and a neutral and it held him and I was the ground person at the time. I tried to use a switch stick to push his foot but I wasn’t strong enough at the time.

Thankfully, another guy saw what was happening and threw a stone and hit him and he got released.

LL: What happens to your body during an electric shock?

JF: Well they can go to the Heart Trust NTA and do electrical insulation whether to a Level 1 or 2. Ensure you have at least three (3) subjectMathematics, English and one other.

Heart Trust will give you an excellent foundation to build on. From there when you arrive at JPS you do an interview along with a written test and you take it from there.

LL: You work in “volatile” communities.

What’s that experience like?

JF: The people love and know me by name from Jones Town to Denham Town, I have no problem working there and I do that every day. I love it!

LL: As we are in the hurricane season, what’s the worst hurricane you have been through?

JF: Ivan was the worst. There were a lot of sleepless nights. I worked in Kingston then St. Mary and right after that I left for Grenada- it was very hectic.

LL: I know you take safety very seriously- so what for you constitutes a good lineman?

JF: For me a good lineman is one who comes to work with all parts of his body and leave or resign from the work with all parts of his body. That’s what I tell myself.||LL||

LL: So all these persons climbing mango trees near the lines…

JF: That’s a suicidal climb- you could be electrocuted.

LL: What’s the best career advice anyone has ever given you?

JF: In truth, I am just self-motivated.

LL: As for your career, 10 years from now where do you want to be?

JF: I see myself with seven more years in the lineman field and then I want to transition to the Training Department because I love teaching or to System Control.

LL: On Facebook, a lot of persons ask us how they can get started to become a lineman. What do you recommend?

Here Julian is congratulated by JPS President & CEO, Kelly Tomblin at the Jamaica Lineman Rodeo in April 2013.

The 30th Annual International Lineman’s Rodeo will be held on Saturday, October 19th, 2013 in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

Lineman Rodeo Events: Hurt Man Rescue: The object is to rescue the “injured lineman” as quickly as possible from a pole using all safety procedures and pole-top rescue techniques.

Speed Climb: The object is to climb and descend a 45-foot pole as quickly and smoothly as possible. This is the only event where you get to showoff your speed. The climber will put an egg in their mouth in order to measure smoothness.

Mystery Event: Well if we told you it wouldn’t be a mystery now would it?

The primary purpose of the event is to help maintain a focus on safety and safe work practices, to provide a forum for the public to better understand and recognize the technical craft skills of the linemen.

Jamaica is the ONLY Caribbean country to compete in these World Championships!

As we countdown to Kansas, meet the team gearing up to go for gold at the International Lineman Rodeo in October!