Imagine arranging wires pulsing with lethal voltages of electrical current. Now imagine doing that at the top of a utility pole. In gusting winds or during a snowstorm. This is all in a day's work for electrical power line installers and repairers. On solid ground, these outdoor workers use muscle and power tools to put up towers and other equipment or dig holes and set poles for power lines. In urban areas, installers have to crawl down through manholes, to position or repair power lines underground. Elsewhere line installers have to be comfortable stringing and splicing cables 20 to 40 feet overhead, working from a truck-mounted bucket or climbing the poles themselves. Apprenticeships and training programs sponsored by unions are the best way to learn the required skills and critical safety procedures for this job. But along with technical knowledge, it requires strength, agility, and during severe weather, lots of stamina. Installers and repairers are called out on short notice during or after storms and work long shifts often traveling far from home for days until power is restored. Experienced installers and repairers achieve relatively high salaries, enhanced by regular overtime pay…and the knowledge that a community’s energy needs, depend on your agility and ability.