A few months ago, wildfires across the San Gabriel Mountains torched thousands of acres, and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes. When the inferno was past, and conditions allowed, it was up to a very special team from IBEW Local 47 to repair the transmission lines that span the high country, sending power to millions below.

There is no such thing as an ordinary job for a Local 47 linemen, but this one is more unusual than most. Planning and “tailboards” are just a little more intense when you don’t drive to your job…you fly. It’s certainly not unusual for a lineman to work high off the ground, but when the towers on which they work are just short of inaccessible, it brings a whole new meaning to teamwork. That’s because to get to the job site, they are at one end of a 100-foot rope – while an IBEW pilot and his helicopter – are at the other.