Date:	September 14-17, 2021
Time:	Day 1: Sep 14, 2021 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm Day 2: Sep 15, 2021 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Day 3: Sep 16, 2021 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Day 4: Sep 17, 2021 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Location:	MMUA Training Center, 1004 Michigan Road, Marshall, MN Get Directions
This event is now closed for online registration

About the School

Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA), along with our partners Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA) and American Public Power Association (APPA), are pleased to offer the 2021 Overhead School.

The 2021 Overhead School offers a unique training opportunity that will focus on working through a mutual aid event. This is an opportunity for everyone from line personnel to crew chiefs and management. Participants will be divided into groups to work through the event as if it were an actual emergency—from dispatch to initial repair.

Whether you are responding to a severe weather event resulting in significant damage and outages or providing mutual aid to another community, the most effective response to any emergency situation requires a coordinated effort involving everyone from field staff to management. This School will present participants with an opportunity to work as a crew following an emergency. At the end of each day we will muster to discuss the day’s activities, with a final debrief on Friday morning. Working through this mutual aid reenactment offers participants “real world” hands-on experience, in a collaborative environment.

NOTE: Members of MREA need to register on their site directly.

What You Will Learn 

GENERAL SESSIONS

Due to the unique training that will be offered at this year’s School, attending the full duration is critical to obtaining maximum benefit of the program. We will utilize the session on Tuesday to outline the process for crews and leadership before breaking into crews. On Friday we will review/debrief the mutual aid event to capture important take-aways.

Two Class Options:

• Mutual Aid Response - Crew

• Mutual Aid Response - Leadership

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Mutual Aid Response - Crew

As in any response to a mutual aid request, crews will not know what they will be doing until they arrive for work. Crews will be sent to various areas throughout the training center field. Priorities will be set pertaining to what needs to be accomplished first, second, and so on. Job safety will be paramount, with a focus on best practices and techniques to complete each job at hand. Scenarios to be covered may include:

• Proper techniques for switching, grounding and tagging
• Identifying potential dangers and hazards, such as back feed
• Tree trimming in an emergency
• Splicing
• Pole replacement
• Transformer banking
• Transmission/substation repair
• Single and three phase structure damage

Mutual Aid Response - Leadership (this is an Advanced class)

We have created a very interesting advanced class that will focus on the management and system operations of an ongoing mutual aid event. Leadership personnel will have the opportunity to utilize and further develop essential skills to work hand-in-hand with MMUA in order to deploy crews needed. Learning opportunities include:

• How to prioritize and organize a large-scale mutual aid response
• Becoming familiar with and leading using MMUA’s standardized system for damage assessment and other tools/resources
• Locating crews and needed equipment and resources
• Leading/assisting system operations
• Mapping and prioritizing system restoration
• Managing your critical customer base
• Greeting and deploying outstate crews/resources
• Managing crew needs (lodging, food, etc.)
• Tracking crews and resources after deployment
• Leading in difficult situations—when to call for help/support; accident/injury situations; stranded crews and equipment breakdown; managing switching, testing and grounding; and more
• Managing and mitigating potential dangers (customer’s portable generators, debris, etc.)

Minnesota Lineworkers Rodeo

The Minnesota Lineworkers Rodeo will take place on Tuesday, September 14 (just ahead of the Overhead School). Registration is free to members of MMUA and any lineworker can participate—you don't have to be from Minnesota!

Individual Events include:

• Hurtman Rescue
• Pole Top Pin Insulator Change Out
• Obstacle Course

(There are no team events.)

Trophies/plaques will be awarded for top three finishers in each event and each category. Plus we will award an overall trophy in the Apprentice and Journeyman categories.

NOTE: Separate registration is required — registration deadline is August 16. Sorry, no onsite registration.

Optional Evening Activities

The following optional activities take place on Wednesday evening (at participant's expense). Sign up forms will be available during the school.

• Archery
• Golf 
• Sporting Clay Shoot

Overhead School Schedule*

Tuesday, September 14
1:00 pm Registration Check In
2:00 pm  General Session: Mutual Aid Response - Pre-Event Group Walk Through
5:00 pm  Reception/Rodeo Awards Presentation

Wednesday, September 15
8:30 am  Mutual Aid Response - Crew Class & Mutual Aid Response - Leadership Class
12:00 pm  Lunch (provided)
12:30 pm  Mutual Aid Response - Crew Class (continued) & Mutual Aid Response - Leadership Class (continued)
5:00 pm  Archery, Golf or Sporting Clay Shoot (at participant’s expense)

Thursday, September 16
8:30 am  Mutual Aid Response - Crew Class & Mutual Aid Response - Leadership Class
12:00 pm  Lunch (provided)
12:30 pm  Mutual Aid Response - Crew Class (continued) & Mutual Aid Response - Leadership Class (continued))

Friday, September 17
8:30 am  General Session: Mutual Aid Response - Group Debrief
12:00 pm  Closing Comments & Wrap Up

*Schedule/program subject to change without notice.

What to Bring - both classes

• Facemask (if not fully vaccinated for COVID-19)
• Hard Hat
• Safety Glasses
• Work Gloves
• Work Boots
• High Visibility Clothing/Outerwear—appropriate for the weather
• Fall Restraint

Certificate of Attendance

Overhead School participants earn 19.5 hours for attendance and a certificate will be available online upon completion. Watch for an email notification from MMUA after the school. Please note: we must have the participant's email address on file in order to send the certificate.

Registration Information

Registration Fee

Member—$465 per person
Non-Member—$690 per person

Registration fee increases $50 per person on August 6, 2021
Deadline to register: August 16, 2021

Registration fee includes workshop tuition, materials, Tuesday evening reception, Wednesday and Thursday lunch, refreshment breaks and a certificate of attendance.

Cancellations/Refunds

MMUA will issue a refund (less $30 processing fee per person) provided MMUA is notified of the cancellation by 4:30 pm on August 16, 2021, Sorry, no refunds issued for cancellations after August 16.

Hotel / Motel Information — Marshall, MN

Photographs

By registering for this event I, the attendee, authorize Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA) to photograph me at this event and use such photographs in MMUA marketing materials (both electronic and print). I understand that I will not be paid for giving this consent. 

Questions?

If you have questions about the program and its content, contact Cody Raveling by calling 507.530.2096 or email craveling@mmua.org.

If you have questions or problems with registration or reservations, contact Theresa Neddermeyer by calling 763.551.1230 or email tneddermeyer@mmua.org.

A printable version of the Overhead School brochure is also available.