Foreman wins contest
By From staff reports
Published in News on December 17, 2012 1:46 PM
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Leonard Person performs a pole rescue as part of the Pole Top Rescue Competition. Person set a new course record at the event.
Leonard Person, right-of-way crew foreman for Tri-County Electric Membership Corp. at Dudley, last month captured his third first-place finish in the North Carolina's electric cooperatives' statewide Pole Top Rescue Competition.
Person, a seven-time participant in the event, set a new course record with a time of 1:33.80. Along with the top honor, Person took home a $1,000 prize for those competing in the category with personal fall restraints.
More than 600 North Carolina electric cooperative line workers began the year competing for the 2012 title. Winners of local cooperative and regional competitions advanced to the Nov. 27 state championship where 23 people competed.
This year's competition had two categories based on the type of fall restraints used by the competitors. One group secured themselves in the traditional way with a lifeline and life hook, while the other group used personal fall restraints that protect from falls during the ascent and descent.
In the Pole Top Rescue scenario, line workers place an emergency radio call, don climbing gear, scale 20 feet up a utility pole, rig a rope, lower a 105-pound mannequin and begin CPR.
It is the same scenario that all North Carolina electric cooperative line workers must perform in less than five minutes in order to maintain their certification to work on co-op lines.
"We are so proud of Leonard for this achievement," said Mike Davis, Tri-County general manager. "He has represented Tri-County for the past several years and always does his best to win. We appreciate his dedication and loyalty to Tri-County."
Person has worked for Tri-County for 17 years. He and his wife, Cyndi, live in Dudley, and they have two adult sons.