American Gas - December 2010 - (Page 17)

To be The besT Great Ideas | solutIons For the record Winners at the National Gas Rodeo share their strategies for getting the job done. no mAtter the time of day, if there is a natural gas service disruption, utilities will send out a crew of men and women to get the gas flowing again. A Winning Attitude The 16th Annual National Gas Rodeo, held Sept. 16–18, once again drew crowds of utility crews from around the United States to show off their skills in the natural gas field at the Everett Moody Park at Longacre in Fairview Heights, Ill. The weekend began with a Thursday evening welcome reception where teams met their competitors. Gary Gibson, director – distribution for City Utilities of Springfield, welcomed the crowd at the Friday banquet and talked about how the National Gas Rodeo Championship has positively influenced his gas crews and their daily work habits. This year’s two-person champions, the Outlaws from Alagasco, are regarded as leaders by their company. Bryan Hassinger, construction journeyman apprentice, and Eddie Robison, construction journeyman, cared enough about their craft and their company to improve their skills on their own time, even during Birmingham, Ala.,’s triple-digit-temperature summer. Their extra efforts motivated coworkers to look for additional ways The four-person team champions Insane methane from Piedmont natural Gas: (from left to right) jason hill, john bishop, Terry marcum, Tom Presley (alternate) and jason brown. These men and women can be invisible to the customer and even the people who work in the home office. But the work they do is important and doing it safely is the No. 1 goal. The National Gas Rodeo celebrates these men and women, giving them an opportunity to shine back home in the office and in front of their families and fellow natural gas workers. Every year two- and four-person teams from alagasco’s winning utilities such as Duke two-man team, The Energy, Questar Gas Co., outlaws, bryan hassinger (left) and Intermountain Gas Co., eddie robison, NiSource and Washington compete in the hand dig at nationals. The Gas Co. compete in field team set a record at services activities to be the sept. 18 event. declared champions, for the right to wear the Gas Rodeo ring, and to brag about their ability to do the job safely and fast. Teams take the rodeo seriously, practicing on their own time, modifying tools and putting in countless hours of practice. Working a large backhoe takes skill, using it as an extended arm to pick up an egg with a spoon takes precision, patience and perseverance. A person who can pick up that egg can pick up anything with a backhoe. Photo by alagasco Photo by stePhanie menning, midwest energy association AmericAn GAs december 2010/january 2011 17

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - December 2010

American Gas - December 2010
Contents
President’s Message: A Fond Farewell
Industry News
Safety First: Going All-in on Safety
To Be the Best: For the Record
Opportunity Knocks
Workforce 2020: Beyond the Boomers
Places to Be
Noteworthies
Jobline
Marketplace
Advertisers’ Index
Facts on Gas

American Gas - December 2010