CHARLOTTE -- Line workers aren't who you often think of as first responders, but they are common sights when catastrophe hits.

In Charlotte there's a lineman that's not just responding to calls locally, but also hundreds of miles away.

  • Russell Manning is a Duke Energy lineman of nine years
  • Linemen aren't often thought of as first responders, but are often one of the first to respond in times of crisis
  • In early 2018, Manning left to spend 54 days helping with Puerto Rico recovery efforts

Russell Manning has been a Duke Energy lineman for nine years.

He and his partner, Derek Garcia, are on the front lines when disaster strikes.

“Firefighters, they call us all the time, house fires, vehicle accidents, yeah I'd call us first responders in a minute,” said Manning.

But working in Charlotte wasn't enough for Manning. When an opportunity to volunteer arose in January, he jumped right on it.

Manning volunteered his services alongside more than 150 other Charlotte linemen for Hurricane Maria cleanup efforts in Puerto Rico. He spent 54 days there.

Conditions were tough. Manning worked 15-hour days repairing a power system where lines sometimes couldn't even be found.

“We did what we do best and that's restore power. Yes, it's a job, yes, we chose to do it, but we chose it because we like helping other people,” said Manning.

Though back in Charlotte the demands are a little less hectic than hurricane cleanup, for linemen the work never ends. The time Manning spent in Puerto Rico stays with him.

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