As storms hit Alabama, powerlineworkers risk dangerous conditions to restore power and provide immeasurable service to the communities they serve, according to the Alabama Energy Association (EIA), which today joined state leaders in celebrating Powerlineworker Appreciation Day to thank powerlineworkers.

Each year, the group presents an Outstanding Service Award to recognize linemen who go above and beyond the call of duty. This year's recipients are Steven Keel, Britt Clayton, Daniel Hollis, Nick Porter, Larry Littlejohn and Travis Hardy.

Keel, Clayton, Hollis and Porter rescued a family on the Coosa River after a young girl fell overboard and the father jumped in to try and save her. The four linemen were able to pull them both out of the water while the father struggled to pull his daughter to shore.

Hardy and Littlejohn rescued Travis' daughter after she fell into the pool and sank to the bottom, performing CPR and saving her life.

Power line workers from numerous companies attended, including Alabama Power Company, Alabama Rural Power Authority, Alabama Rural Power Authority, Alabama Power Cities Authority, PowerSouth Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Alabama Public Utilities Commission Chairwoman Twinkle Cavanaugh, State Senator April Weaver (R-Briarfield) and WSFA Chief Meteorologist Josh Johnson thanked them for their contributions.

“Powerline workers' work goes beyond helping communities restore power after a storm,” Cavanaugh said. “Alabama's powerline workers work every day to ensure Alabamians have access to power. Powerline workers are the first to arrive on the scene after a storm or outage, and we shouldn't wait until it's needed to say thank you to them; they work countless hours, and it's an honor to be here today and recognize their contributions to our communities.”

“Growing up, I remember my grandfather, a proud power lineman, teaching me that storms would mean being away from home for long periods of time in tough conditions to restore power to areas in need. I saw firsthand the dedication and passion this job requires, and I have the utmost gratitude for power line workers and their families,” said State Senator Weaver.

“The work that Alabama's power lineworkers do is important to our state, and we thank them and their families for all they do to keep Alabamians connected to electricity.”

“The Energy Association is proud to partner with the Alabama Legislature to establish Alabama Power Lineworker Appreciation Day and today we extend our gratitude to power lineworkers for the work they do every day to keep our electricity running,” said Houston Smith, president of the Alabama Energy Association. “Today, we want to thank them for all they do to support our state – not only do they fix outages, but they also restore hope and peace of mind when we need it most.”

Grayson Everett is the state and politics editor for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. Grayson