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The pu l se o f K .C . happen ings

K.C. Electric Association has always been a leader in safety. In fact, we have been recognized by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program and the Colorado Rural Electric Association’s Loss Control Department for many years. As part of our commitment to employee safety, employees who work in the office and those who work in the field undergo extensive safety training on a regular basis.

Once a year, outside crews review and hone their skills by simulating assisting a co-worker who is injured on a pole or in a bucket truck. One by one, the linemen and apprentices test their skills on how quickly they can initiate a Mayday call, strap on their climbing gear, climb a 35-foot pole, safely rig and lower a 175-pound dummy to the ground with the use of a rope and then climb back down the pole to provide emergency first aid and care until medical service professionals arrive on the scene to take over. The complete pole top rescue, beginning with the Mayday call and ending with emergency first aid and care, must be completed by each lineman and apprentice in under 4 minutes.

K.C. linemen also train to rescue a co-worker who is injured while working in a bucket truck. In this scenario, the lineman or apprentice must safely and quickly lower the bucket to the ground by utilizing lower controls mounted on the turret of the truck. Once the bucket truck is lowered to the ground, they then remove the injured

co-worker from the bucket and begin administering emergency first aid and care.

This annual training doesn’t only involve the outside crews. The office employees also participate by practicing responding to the mock Mayday call received from the field crews. The office employees must respond to the Mayday call, determine the exact location of the injured worker and then go through the steps of notifying local emergency responders so they can be dispatched to the scene of the incident.

K.C. employees are among the best-trained, most dedicated and hardest-working folks you will ever meet. They must work in and around high-voltage power lines in the toughest weather conditions and often in the dark to restore power to their neighbors’ homes. Hurt-man rescue is an essential part of the training required by K.C. employees. Rescuing a fellow co-worker safely and quickly can mean the difference between life and death. Hurt-man rescue training and other safety training ensures that our employees are constantly reminded of the dangers of their job and the importance of using their equipment in the safest manner possible.

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Letter From the GMK.C. Electric Staff

David ChurchwellGeneral Manager

dchurchwell@kcelectric.coop

Bo RandolphOffice Manager and CFO

brandolph@kcelectric.coop

Paul NorrisOperations Manager

pnorris@kcelectric.coop

George EhlersMember Services Specialist and

IT Manager gehlers@kcelectric.coop

David Churchwell

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Washington, D.C., Youth TourJune 8-15, 2017

Each year, as many as 1,700 high school students from across the country spend a week in the nation's capital as part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Youth Tour. The students are sponsored by electric cooperatives with the help of the Colorado Rural Electric Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. This all-expense-paid trip is a wonderful opportunity for local students to see our Capitol and other attractions, broaden their education and have some fun. The trip is valued at more than $2,300.

Youth Leadership Camp at Glen Eden ResortJuly 15-20, 2017

Students, ambassadors and camp counselors (100 strong) meet for a fun-filled week learning about electric cooperatives near Steamboat Springs. Students stay at the Glen Eden Resort located in Clark, Colorado, which is 24 miles north of Steamboat Springs near Steamboat Lake.

Students are chosen and sponsored by rural electric cooperatives from all over Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and Oklahoma. The camp is designed to provide a better understanding of cooperatives, legislative processes, energy prices, power generation and the rural electric cooperative program. The camp also concentrates on developing leadership skills to handle the challenges of the future.

Attendees form a cooperative and elect a board of directors. They are involved in co-op activities, serving on one of the camp activity committees. This provides an excellent learning experience. Field trips include touring Trapper Coal Mine and Craig Station power plant, as well as visiting the top of Mount Warner and Steamboat Springs and taking a raft trip on the Colorado River. Various committees are responsible for planning a hot springs swimming party, a dance, a banquet and other evening entertainment.

Although much of camp is dedicated to learning, fun is also on the agenda. Participants have the opportunity to participate in activities like beach volleyball, swimming, tennis and dancing.

K.C. Electric will select two winners. Students will be asked to write an essay, and it will be judged by a panel of experts. One essay and one application will be sufficient for both trips. The first place winner will select between the Washington, D.C., trip and Glen Eden. The second place winner will be offered the remaining trip. Both are excellent learning opportunities. Either of them will look great on a resumé or scholarship application.

If you are interested in either opportunity next summer, please contact your school counselor, call George Ehlers at 719-743-2431 or download an application from www.kcelectric.coop. The submission deadline is December 31, 2016. The contest is open to all sophomore, junior or senior students whose parents or legal guardians are K.C. Electric members.

S T U D E N T O P P O R T U N I T I E S

K.C. Electric Association's power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission, recently announced that it will be closing the Nucla Station, New Horizon Mine and Unit 1 at the Craig Station. The Nucla Station is a 100-megawatt coal-fired unit and is located in Montrose County about 3 miles southeast of the town of Nucla. The New Horizon Mine was established by Tri-State to provide a fuel source for the Nucla plant and is located about 5 miles from Nucla. The Nucla station will be closed by the end of 2022.

The owners of Craig Station Unit 1 reached an agreement with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WildEarth Guardians and the National Parks Conservation Association to revise the Colorado Visibility and Regional Haze State Implementation Plan. Under the proposed agreement, the 427-megawatt Unit 1 at Craig Station will be retired by the end of 2025. Craig Station consists of three coal-fired units; Unit 2 and Unit 3

will continue to operate under this agreement. The owners include Tri-State Generation and Transmission, PacifiCorp, Platte River Power Authority, Salt River Project and Public Service Company of Colorado.

The retirement of these plants will not affect the ability of K.C. Electric to continue to receive and deliver reliable and cost-effective power to its consumers.

T R I - S T A T E N E W S

Flagler — 719-765-4759 | Louden Horning, Jacob SmithCheyenne Wells — 719-767-5525 | Judge Unruh, Jason Scheler, Casey Hyle, Ethan Miner

K.C. Outpost Offices

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Claim Your Savings — $$!!Each month, members have a chance to claim a $10 credit on their next electric bill. All you have to do is find your account number and call the Hugo office at 719-743-2431 and ask for your credit. The account numbers are listed below. How simple is that?

You must claim your credit during the month in which your name appears in the magazine (check the date on the front cover). Rod Thompson 924850001 Greg Talbert 1105800008 Eric and Tandi Moore 532300001 Marion Brouwer 1132070002

In September, we had just one caller, Ernest Hammer of Wild Horse who claimed his savings.

Sparks From the OutletThis column might be compared to a spark that results when you plug in an appliance. Some of the power that runs through the circuits in your home moves into the appliance creating a little spark. It is normal and may be compared to static electricity.

When you plug into Colorado Country Life, we want you to get information that captures your attention. If you learn something new, then we sparked a valuable thing. If you aren't impressed, then perhaps we will spark your imagination to come up with something better. We always love to hear from our readers.

In September, we asked what two electrical costs made up nearly half of an average U.S. home's total energy bill. The correct answer was heating and cooling. Sadly, there were no correct calls for this question.

Financing your child's education can be a struggle. Are you aware that we offer scholarships, which are available to high school seniors who reside in K.C. Electric’s service territory? We offer and/or administer the following:• Two $1,000 scholarships from K.C. Electric Association• One $1,000 scholarship from Basin Electric Power Cooperative• Two $500 scholarships from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association

Letters and application forms go out to high school counselors in November each year. You may get application forms by contacting your school counselor, calling member services or downloading the application found on our website, www.kcelectric.coop. Your application must be received no later than January 9, 2017.

How does flipping a switch turn a light on?• It steps up the voltage.• It generates an electromagnetic field.• It opens the circuit.• It closes the circuit.

The first two callers with the correct answer will receive $10. Please call the Hugo office at 719-743-2431 with your answers.

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"How Can I Be Any Happier?"By Dee Ann Blevins

Don Malone gave up his job with Kit Carson County to work for K.C. Electric in June 1979. He was out of high school for four years and was a neighbor of Jim Shulda, who was working at K.C. since 1966. Jim suggested he submit an application, but there was not an opening at the time. Forrest Holgate later submitted his resignation in order to be an instructor for the electric lineman's program at Mesa State College in Grand Junction. Don, a Stratton native, knew that K.C. would be a good place to work.

Don's first day was on a Monday, but when a tornado caused some damage north of Arapahoe, Don was called in on Sunday, which happened to be Father's Day. His first day included 14 hours of overtime. He admits that he knew nothing about electricity when he was hired and that he was afraid of heights. Those were minor obstacles.

With on-the-job training, Don advanced to journeyman lineman after four years, continued working as a lineman for 19 years and then switched to meter technician, a job he has managed for the past 14 years. Now, he is one of the "old-timers," having spent 37 years with K.C. Electric. I asked Don how he stays motivated after all these years. He replied, "I'm not motivated. It's just a fun job. When you're having fun, that makes it easy to come to work. Working with young guys keeps me feeling young, too."

Don enjoyed working as a lineman with the crew. Friendships developed. "We had a lot of fun," Don added, "but I enjoy working alone, too." In the early days, maintenance on the line was done while the lines were de-energized. With the dependence on electricity, the trend now is to do maintenance while the lines are energized. Safety is just as important today as ever.

Taking after-hours duty was also part of the job. Don was on call the night his first daughter was born. His second daughter came along and when

the girls were older, Don wouldn't tell them he had to go to work (when he was called out after hours), but he said, "I get to go to work."

When meter technician Bill Maynard retired in 2003, Don knew that working outdoors in the winter climbing poles might not be an easy task to handle in his later years, so he decided that he would apply for the job. He had another obstacle to overcome. He had to pass the meter certification test, which required a lot of math skills. Don received training from Bill, but he also sought information on his days off from a couple of meter technicians at other co-ops. His daughter, Staci, majoring in math at college, also helped him prepare for the test and new position, for which he was grateful. He took and passed the test at Rocky Mountain Meter School in Fort Collins.

When Don started as meter technician, the meters were electromechanical with dials that had to be calibrated and read manually. Later, K.C. Electric purchased some programmable meters that used analog-to-digital technology to measure polyphase energy and demand. This allowed K.C. to use the same meter for different types of services. Finally in 2011, K.C. installed advanced metering infrastructure or AMI, an integrated system of smart meters, a communication network and a data management system. This enabled two-way communication between K.C. and its consumers.

This was a huge project that involved a lot of teamwork.

The new meters can supply so much more information than the old ones, such as voltage, amps, outages, blinks, alarms and usage. Don never dreamed that the tools he kept in his pickup would eventually include two laptops, an iPad and a smartphone. Troubleshooting is a little more complicated these days, but the latest technology is a positive thing for both K.C. and its members.

Don and his wife, Joyce, have been married for 39 years. They have two daughters, Staci and Keri, and five grandchildren. In his spare time, Don enjoys taking the grandkids for rides on the all-terrain vehicle or the motorcycle. He imagines that he will probably retire about the time the grandkids get into middle school, and he will have more time to support them in their sporting and school events.

Don loves old cars, hunting both small and big game and the outdoors. He enjoys his career and is happy. Don feels thankful that Sam Crocker hired him and that Sam, John Huppert, Jim Shulda, Andy Flageolle, Larry Shutte, Curt Graham, Darrin Laverenz and Paul Norris all helped provide Don with education and training, shaping him into a fine employee. When he started in 1979 the cell phone was just invented. Like technology, Don has come a long way.

To help prevent injury and illness, there are things we know we have to do to care for ourselves — especially as we get older. Our homes also have to be maintained to stay in good shape, and an important part of that maintenance includes a home’s electrical system.

Older homes are more likely to have an electrical fire than newer homes. An electrical system’s insulation can eventually wear out from a variety of factors including age, animal damage and overloaded circuits.

Also, older homes were not designed for today’s electronics and appliances. Increased electrical demands can have an impact on the household wiring in older homes. If you have an older home, you may find that you need an upgraded electric service.

Be aware of the signs of electrical wiring problems, which include dim or flickering lights as well as a burning smell, smoke or shocks, when using an electrical outlet or switch. Also look out for discoloration, frayed wires, breakers that trip or blow and signs of potential rodent damage that may affect insulation. If you suspect a problem, shut the outlet or switch off at the circuit breaker, and contact an electrician to make repairs.

To check on the status of your home’s electrical system, contact a qualified electrician to perform an electrical inspection of your home. The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission suggests the following time frames for inspections:

• If the last electrical inspection of your home was 40 or more years ago, an inspection is overdue.

• If the last inspection was 10 to 40 years ago, an inspection is recommended, especially if your electrical demands increased significantly or you noticed any of the warning signs of electrical problem.

• If the last inspection was less than 10 years ago, an inspection should not be needed unless you noticed any of the warning signs of an electrical problem or any temporary wiring was added.

The CPSC further suggests that if you are not sure when the last time your home had an electrical inspection, you might be able to find a label or tag with that information on your electrical panel door or cover. If there is no label or tag, then use the age of the house as a guide to the probable need for an inspection.

To learn more about home electrical safety, visit SafeElectricity.org.

It's Important to Care for Your Home’s Electrical System as it Ages