AEP Salutes Barnesville Employee

(AEP Image)

“AEP Ohio Now”, the company magazine for American Electric Power, profiled Barnesville resident Tate Dowler who was selected as the “November Safety Champion”.  

The feature noted that “Tate Dowler, a line mechanic B at the Belmont Service Center (St. Clairsville), was off work on paternity leave and driving along SR 800 near Sewellsville when he spotted ‘something weird” along the side of the road.  He turned around to investigate and discovered a downed pole, rotted at the base, lying in some trees outside the right of way. The attached power line was discovered to be energized”.

“I always try to be aware when I am driving. It just a habit of always looking around,” Dowler said. “I had never seen anything like this.”

Dowler immediately called his supervisor, and a crew was dispatched to ensure the scene was safe and make repairs. 

The AEP Ohio State Safety Committee named Dowler its November Safety Champion for his commitment to keeping the public and our employees safe.

Dowler is the only apprentice line worker in Belmont garage. According to Distribution System Supervisor Jim Jones, the fact that Dowler called in the hazard while he was off the job showed that Dowler’s commitment to safety is constant.

“Tate has a positive attitude, he’s a hard worker and he very safety conscious, which is great to see in all employees,” Jones said.

“Dowler believes the most important thing in keeping people safe can be summed up in one word: communication.