At first glance, just the thought of a lineman telling the story of being burned while doing something he knew was wrong is unimaginable. That is, however, precisely why we feel you should take a long look - not just a glance - at Paul Herbert and his history.
In the dedication of the Lineman's Hall of Fame it speaks of the contribution to the safety, the sacrifices, dedication, and unwavering devotion to lineman and the electrical industry that nominated individuals have shown.
In his presentation "The Day the Lights Went Out", Paul Herbert talks openly about the events that led to his accident. Anyone who has done this job for any length of time can, and will relate to what happened and how it happened. Talking about it, and admitting his culpability, cannot be easy. But we believe the more linemen that hear his message, the safer this industry becomes. As we try to change the culture of this trade by making it unacceptable to just go along with things we know we shouldn't do, we also need to make it acceptable to question whether something is safe or not, and speak up. Every lineman that has been in this trade for any amount of time has been in a similar situation, or done exactly the same thing Paul did. The vast majority of us have gotten away with it. Paul is the reality of the consequences when things go wrong and an example of someone who didn't get away with it. We dare say that every lineman can relate when we say, "There, but for the grace of God go I". For that reason alone, we become safer as a trade with every lineman who hears Paul's message.
In his presentation Paul stresses the sacrifices that his wife and family has to make immediately after his accident and continue to make to this day. He goes to great lengths to explain its' effect, not just on him, but everyone around him. His wife and parents, his children and grandchildren, his neighbors and friends, and especially his co-worker's lives were changed dramatically, all the results of a lapse in judgment 1/20th of a second long! Paul explains how selfish working in an unsafe manner is, but it is his wide Lorraine who finished the lesson when she describes how her life has changed as a result of Paul's incident. Lineman who hear them talk will never be the same. They'll be safer, if only because the are aware of the effect their behavior has on those around them.
Listening to Paul speak, it is apparent how much he loved doing line work and how much he still misses it to this day. We cannot imagine the courage it takes to do what he is doing. Standing in front of 5000 or more of your peers and admitting that you had a hand in what happened to you takes more courage than we can imagine. We should all be thankful that he has mustered up the courage to talk to all his "Brothers". If this is not dedication to the trade and to all lineman, we don't know what is. The fact that Paul was hurt does not make him unique. What does make him unique is his willingness and ability to take about it and relate to his brother lineman. Speaking to a room full of fellow lineman and their wives about a subject that none of them really want to address is definitely above and beyond the call of duty and completely selfless.
When his incident occurred Paul was the only person on his crew that was trained in first aid or CPR. He points out how important it is to practice our rescue training, over and over again. Many of us don't take out first aid or rescue training seriously. We may never say it, but many of us think it could never happen to me. Let us tell you, when you hear Paul tell the linemen in the room to practice pole top rescue, CPR, and all rescue procedures. It's hard to ignore his message...and no one does. That alone makes his presentation worthwhile.
After seeing Paul speak at our Safety Summit, Management at both IBEW Local 17 and DTE Energy are committed to making sure every lineman, supervisor, and anyone involved with working with our linemen see this powerful presentation. Both feel it is a great tool for encouraging active participation in safety and all the training involved with working safe. Our motto is "Yes, I am my Brothers Keeper...Every Day...Every Job". We have been to the safety meetings where the DVD of Paul's presentation has been shown, and believe us, he makes an impact. The people in that rom become much more engaged in their only safety, and the safety of their brothers. That can only help this trade avoid accidents and get closer to our goal of zero incidents.
After reviewing all of his attributes and contributions to this trade and to the safety of our members, we hope you will agree with us that Paul Hebert would be a great addition to the Lineman's Hall of Fame
Thank you for your consideration