Being a lineman for an electrical service can be one of the most unheralded jobs these days and it’s a key position to keep electricity flowing into homes that most people take for granted.
But the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) isn’t going to let the top linemen in the state be forgotten. FMEA held its annual Florida Lineman Competition Saturday in Ocala. The event brings lineworkers from throughout the state and even some outside of Florida to show off their skills and experience with the profession of lineworking.
The lineworking professionals took on various challenges and turned them into competitions such as changing cables, disconnecting power lines, replacing equipment and insulators and engaging in simulations of rescue scenarios. Points were scored for the competitors when they engaged in the scenarios and completed them as fast as they could. Points were deducted for any safety standards that weren’t met or procedures were overlooked or not followed.
Teams were composed of journeymen professionals. Each squad had at least one lineworker who was in the industry for more than half a decade and each team had at least three lineworkers. Less experienced professionals such as lineworkers in training and apprentices competed in other competitions.
A team from Jacksonville took away the 2025 Overall Journeyman Team Winners Cup. The team consisted of workers from JEA, which is Jacksonville’s publicly-held utility service. That team included David Hicken, Caleb Macabitas and Jonathan Cody Stokes.
Meanwhile, the Overall Apprentice Award also went to a JEA worker. Ryan Kornegay snagged that award.
“A big congratulations to all the winners, who have demonstrated exceptional expertise and skills while also showing their unwavering commitment to safety on the job and delivering the highest quality service to their communities,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA executive director.
There were 18 utility organizations that had employees participating in the Florida Lineman Competition for a total of 156 lineworkers competing. Some 24 teams were formed and there were 64 judges from across the state who oversaw and provided scores during the contests.
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