Crews on the job face hazards day in and day out – it’s an expected part of the job. The Energy Wheel helps us understand these hazards and create controls on our job sites to protect us from the inevitability of something happening with that energy. One interesting spoke on The Energy Wheel is “Biological” hazards – anything that’s living on our job sites and could cause harm.

It’s all part of building capacity for failure. We’re lucky when, on occasion, those biological hazards make our days interesting, fun, and or even a little bit cute.

Dexter Allen had an interesting run-in with a bear cub on his job site in Salem, SC. Crews were working on the Jocassee Hydro Station for Duke Energy when a young black bear cub began exploring the area surrounding their truck.

Crews kept their distance while the little guy stuck around for about an hour.

And remember this encounter with a black bear in the mountains from 2023?

My son is turning 14 and recently told me he wants to start working and earning his own money. This year, he began mowing and weed eating around our farm.

Earlier this week, after a long Monday at work, I came home Tuesday evening and he met me at the door, ready to get started. I took him out on the porch and walked him through everything he needed to know before weed eating the property. I pointed out every obstacle—holes, creek banks, bee nests, snakes, ticks—and reminded him to watch his footing near water. I even told him to stop every hour to drink a bottle of water, and I asked his mom to help make sure he did.

Then we went inside, and I fitted him with the right safety glasses and PPE. It wasn’t until I was in the shower later that night that it hit me: I had just done a full JTSA (Job Task Safety Analysis) with my own son—at home. I even assigned my wife as the hydration monitor.

That moment made me realize something powerful. I’ve never worked anywhere that not only prioritizes my safety, health, and well-being, but also equips me to extend that same care to my family. The training and culture at SUI aren’t just changing how I work, they’re changing how I live. They help me keep my family safe and teach them how to protect themselves too.

And without even thinking about it, we did a post-job review that evening. I asked him how it went, if anything unexpected happened. He said everything went smoothly—he finished the job safely and without incident.

I’m incredibly grateful for the time and effort SUI invests in each of us. It’s not just about safety at work—it’s about creating a mindset that follows us home. When we truly buy in, safety becomes second nature. It becomes part of who we are—at work, at play, and at home.

This story is a powerful reminder that the capacity model is more than a workplace tool—it’s a way of life.

Thank you, Jeremy, for sharing this meaningful experience.

To learn more about The Capacity Model, visit learning.thecapacitymodel.com

Each year, Sumter Utilities honors exemplary employees with the President’s Safety Professional of the Year award. Crews who complete all four quarters of the year with zero safety incidents become eligible and are then selected by leadership for going above and beyond in their attention to safety.

This year’s banquet was held on June 12 in Columbia, South Carolina with a sporting clays tournament, dinner, dancing, and encouraging words from leadership to celebrate these amazing gentlemen.

Our 2024 Safety Professionals of the Year are: 

Crew 841

Clarence M Lee, Foreman

Edward R Knowlton, A-Lineman

Logan C Daniels, A-Lineman

Dylan M Browder, C-Lineman

Turner D Singletary, Operator

Crew 76

Wilhelm B Shipes, Foreman

Reinaldo L Gonzalez-Robles, B-Lineman

Garrett C Parker, C-Lineman

Randy A Storay, Operator

Crew 409

Sebastian T Burgess, Foreman

Codey B Driggers, Groundman

Thomas J Young, Groundman

At the 2025 Quanta Services President’s Meeting, four of our outstanding employees were awarded the Quanta High Impact Award for their bravery and dedication in the field. The High Impact Awards are an opportunity for our parent company to give thanks to the incredible people who make Quanta Services the remarkable company that it is. The people at Quanta do exceptional things every day, but some rise above the challenges, expectations, and limitations to truly make the world a better place, which warrants this recognition.

We are so proud of Randall Taylor, Randall Ledford, Romeo Petre, and Ronald Michaux for this outstanding achievement. Read their stories below.

Pictured above: Duke Austin, Karl Studer, Romeo Petre, Ronald Michaux, Redgie Probst, and Scot Fluharty.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Biltmore Village area of Asheville, North Carolina was devastated by flooding. Romeo and Ronald had been driving along a muddy, flooded road when they noticed an older, fragile man who was trapped in dangerously deep mud up to his chest, unable to move. Romeo and Ronald called 9-1-1 and sprang into action. They waded a few feet into the mud themselves to assist the man, pulling him to safety and transporting him to the top of a nearby bridge where first responders could help him.

Pictured above: Duke Austin, Karl Studer, Randall Ledford, Randy Taylor, Redgie Probst, and Scot Fluharty.

On Feb 7, 2024, Randy and Randall’s crews served as first responders to a vehicle incident on Middle Burningtown Road. After placing a preventive control on the distribution overhead line so the crews could perform their work safely, they heard a loud noise followed by a horn. They quickly descended a steep embankment to find a car overturned in a creek with a man trapped inside. One crew member radioed for assistance while another ran to find a signal and call 9-1-1. Despite the freezing water, crew members waded into the creek to attempt to shake the vehicle and open the door. One got into the car to hold the driver’s head above the rising water while the crew then brought the utility line truck to the scene, using the winch and nylon straps to partially lift the car and gain access. Randy was standing on the bridge, directing the crews on what to do. Once they confirmed the driver had not sustained any major injuries, they cut the seatbelt to remove him from the car and brought the driver to a Sumter Utilities truck to warm up until EMS arrived.

Randy and Randall led their crews well and demonstrated quick thinking and a remarkable response to someone in distress.

The training yard at our Sumter, SC Headquarters has seen a lot of activity recently, as the Mobile Transbanker from Quanta Services has been on-site to support additional training efforts.

The Mobile Transbanker training is a two-day course that teaches line workers how to bank transformers through a live, low-voltage exercise. It mimics the experience they will have in the field, but minimizes the risk to allow them to fail safely. In early February, crews that regularly work on the Duke Energy and Dominion Energy systems participated in the training. This Spring, the training trailer will travel throughout North and South Carolina to visit Sumter Utilities crews as part of a wide-reaching training effort in 2025.

It’s resources like these, provided by our parent company Quanta Services, that support our goal of having the best trained workforce in the industry. We’re grateful for every opportunity to gain additional knowledge and skills so we can continue to fail safely.

To learn more about our approach to training, click here, or email Mitch Johnson.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, hundreds of Sumter Utilities linemen were deployed all along the East and Gulf coasts to support customers in restoring power. These brave crews left their families and homes to go live in man camps while they worked to clear debris, change out poles and get the power back on for the numerous affected communities.

1,060 Sumter employees provided 250,000 man hours to support the restoration efforts, and it didn’t go unnoticed! Kindergarten through 5th grade students at Guyton Elementary in Guyton, Georgia took time this fall to learn about the role of linemen and other emergency workers in their art class. They recognized the sacrifice that our crews made, and shared dozens of cards and kind words with us via the mail.

Thank you, Guyton Elementary! We are so thankful for your support.