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catvlineman
2/11/2000
tina sorry if it sounded like there arent any good copanies out there, just hard to find good people to work for. i have taken the good with the bad for a long time and found that MOST companies think people are expendible,but we know they are not.trying to get out of the hooks and on some crews asses lol....thanks
Gerald Whitfield
2/11/2000
Good morning all
I am writing this message to the memories of all who have been injured or killed doing CATV. It's not always us ourselves who can cause an injury or death to occur.No matter how careful we are sometimes things just happen. Yesterday I was interviewing for a P.M. position. In speaking to my interviewer, I made a statement I didn't care what a contractor did when he was on his own time.
I took the position that as long as he was at work on time and his job performance was adequaate, whatever he did with his downtime was fine with me. I was on my way home and the holy spirit convicted my heart for the statement I had made and I repented.I was then directed to write this article. As I drove I thought about what I was to write.I stopped in HollyRidge N.C. to see Joe Baldwin the contractor for Falcon in that area.I asked him to recap the death of Alan Mercer, an old friend,cable brother,an "old school cabledog" God rest his soul. Joe told me it was a day he would never forget.Alan and two men were pulling strand across Hwy.17 to the last pole deep into the woods where you couldn't see the Hwy.Its a double hwy.with a median in the middle.The strand and trailer were set up on the side of the highway,the strand was laid on the ground across the roads and up in the clamps several poles into the easement,into the woods,where it was attached to the line truck.Alan hooked it up the pole with the strand over his shoulder going up to put the strand in the clamp. One groundman was aat the base of the pole,allan was next to the hwy.The other groundman had gone down and gotten the truck used to pull stand tight to sag it.Joe said this part of the story is sketchy, but somehow the strand pulled just tight enough to be raised 6 inches above the hwy. A liitle Nissan car traveling 55mph caught it and caused the strand to whip instanty tight.It stopped the car as if it ahd hit a brick wall.It launched Alan some 20 odd feet into the hwy.It completely severed one of his legs at the hip. Joe said some of the things that were most horrifically embedded in his memory was how traffic was stopped for hours. How the fireman had to bring in the pumper trucks to wash the massive amount of blood from the hwy.He could still picture the placement of Allans body into the bodybag and zipping it up only to have to unzip it when they crossed the road to pick up his leg and put it in the bodybag with him.I could look into Joes'eyes and see it was something he would neveeer forget.It happened three years ago this month,it was only eight poles down from his office, a spot he must pass by everday. As I left Joes' place and drove home, I thought of other cable accidents.One story is that of Bill McBride owner of Wall construction.He was on the island of Bermuda resagging some figurre 8 cable on a road crossing. It was on a curve, when one of the big tour buses rounded the curve too fast and went right by the flagman, when it stopped and it was too late, it caught the figure 8,(figure 8 is strand and cable in one, like aerial self supported dropwire, for those of you who haven't been in the industry long enough to see any of it),no offense intended. Anyway, it catapulted Bill from the bucket some hundred feet away,knocke him unconcious,messing up his shoulder and detaching 3 ribs from his sternum. He lived,Praise the Lord! When the bus hit the cable, it was sagging about two inches too low. It caught on the top of the bus breaking the pole, and bringing down the power cable and phone. Luckily no-one else was injured. You might ask yourself,Why didn't power kill anyone? Well it was because it was just down from what the power people call a closer pole, that's a pole with the fuses and a switch closer, luckily it just blew the fuses. I am going to close for now I only hope in reading my writings you might attain one thread that some day might save your life or someone elses,its a fine line between life.
So be good be careful and God bless you and keep you safe.
Gerald Whitfield
2/11/2000
This is correct some of the erros in my last article,I had my wife type it in.the mistake I wanted to correct is that Alan was thrown 120+,not 20 ft.as printed.
Have a good day.
Kelly Siag
2/11/2000
Does anyone know of any splicing, maintenance, etc. opportunities in North Carolina. If so email Kelly at ksiag@*****.com
lost soul
2/11/2000
karl frankenfield made a posting on the bar as follows:Looking for Bob Bremmel (FUJIMO)
by frankcomm, 2/10/00 5:41:18 AM, IP: 24.129.53.115
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone who knows Bob or how to contact him please contact
me at904-###-#### Call Collect if necessary.
Bob Bremmel (Fujimo) is ripping off contractors, He has
not paid most of the subs working in Jax. FL
He his refusing to pay retainage, His slut of a wife tells
us try to sue us everything is in someone elses name.
DO NOT WORK FOR THIS MAN he is a SCUMBag
i would like to state the facts first of all i paid everybody even though i myself did not get paid, second i never refused to pay anybodys retainage the fact is i havnt gotten it back yet as you know. third my wife is the most wonderful person on this planet and you know where i live. youe wife was the one sleeping with my brother inlaw, you shouldnt cast stones at glass houses. third and again you know where i live or i will gladly meet you antplace you would like. little boys like yourself need to be tought some respect. you have slandered me and my wife and i take that very personally mr frankenfield. please contact me i would like to meet and settle our differences.
cablelord58
2/11/2000
looking for anybody who work in el paso for jr cable
Doug
2/11/2000
power's a funny thing, splicing in Ga. had these trunck tails under this branch, in the process of working them out the branch broke and the tails went into triplex,the tails blew up, the only injures I recieved were burns to my arms and shoulders(from the melted aluminum, unjacketed) to this day I can't understand why I'm still alive I respect power, its a silent and patient killer, and your right,you can do everything right and it still wants a piece of you, and sometimes,it does,it just waits.
cablelord58
2/11/2000
know what you mean doug. got hit by 7200 in north carolina in 92 was of work for 3 years did everything right it was a misting and it jump right of the primemary. if i had not been belted of over plant i would have hit the ground as it was it knock me upside down. you can never be to careful around power.
DRV Construction
2/12/2000
You are right, power is a silent killer!! Always watch for trees in easements growing into primary and secondary power, and specially power pole to pole guys in between the jonny balls, they will get you every time. Tree branches have a tendency to push primary into guys making them live. No matter what, if it looks dangerous and suspect don't do it. Footage is not worth calling someones loved one and telling them, John Doe was just killed because of some accident that could have been avoided. Call Power and have them trim the trees or take up the slack on a pole to pole guy!!! I have many stories that could have been avoided with just some common sense...
DRV Construction
2/12/2000
One other thing. Hot Gloves, I know they are a pain in the ass but when your working with strand and something does not look right they are your best friend. I always use them when taking up strand slack, specially when I cant see down the entire run. You never know when strand may get caught up on a bug or span clamp and all of a sudden it releases and whammm you have bounced it into power and
