When you are born into this career, grow up in it and grow old with it, this “adventure” becomes your life.  I am the wife of a lineman, the daughter of a retired lineman and the sister of a former lineman.

My memories go back to over 35 years ago – some of my earliest childhood memories are of my dad and his crew during scary storms.  Laying in the bed trembling at the noises, then waking up to find, sometimes, a house full of linemen asleep on the sofa or beds because they couldn’t make the drive home after working storm trouble. They worked all night, and sometimes days at a time, to ensure everyone had their power back on when they needed it.  During the worst of times, they were there.

Mike Bartley has been a lineman for Alabama Power for almost 20 years. (Photo courtesy of Nicki Bartley)

As I look back now, I can see the effect they had on the community, but it was difficult as a little girl knowing my dad would be working through every storm and he would be “on call” for 24-7 one week per month, every month. We didn’t get to do a lot of extra-curricular activities that week of the month, because that was a time long before cellphones allowed mobility.

What it did do, though, was prepare me for the lifestyle I would have with my husband, Mike Bartley, as he joined Alabama Power in 1997. Usually, when someone receives a call in the middle of the night, they expect the worse – something must have happened to someone. But when our telephone rang in the middle of the night, I knew it meant Mike was getting called out to work. That’s the mentality of a lineman’s wife, and I was receiving those calls long before the automated callout system was put in place – back when there was an actual person making that call to get someone in to work!

Alabama Power lineman Mike Bartley at career day. (Photo courtesy of Nicki Bartley)

When Mike decided this was the career path he wanted to take, I knew what was to be expected of me … the understanding that his job is demanding, but in the best way possible.  He, along with every other lineman, serves the community. Not only during storms and the extensive travel to help neighboring communities during their worst times, but also daily as they ensure power remains on during extreme heat and cold. This comfort is very important to a lot of people who have medical conditions and equipment in their homes who literally cannot be without power in those circumstances.

Mike has been on so many storm teams throughout the years and was gone for weeks at a time to Florida, North Carolina, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia, and many other locations. Because I knew this lifestyle inside and out, I held down the fort at home with our girls as we patiently waited for a call from him to check in with us or for him to come home. I won’t say you get used to it, but it becomes routine and manageable. I have respect for my dad, who retired from this career, my husband for having almost 20 years with Alabama Power, my brother (Nathan Daniels of Alabama Power) who held this position for a long time, and for anyone else in this career for their dedication and commitment to the community.

Nicki Bartley is married to Mike Bartley, who is a lineman on the Phenix City crew.

Starting with National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18 through Alabama Lineman Appreciation Day on June 6, Alabama NewsCenter is honoring those men and women in the state.