Description of Event
MECA is pleased to announce the second annual MECA Tech School! This unique opportunity is a three-day course, which includes both classroom and in-field training. There will be four tracks for this school:
- Rubber Gloving Basic (newer)
- Rubber Gloving Advanced (experienced)
- Apparatus
- Drone Flight
Rubber Gloving Tracks (Basic and Advanced). Day one will include presentations on truck inspections, metering and rubber glove testing. Days two and three will be an in-field days. Attendees will have the opportunity to work on single-phase, 3-phase, tangent, angle and dead-end structures. Trainers will be volunteer linemen from MECA cooperatives. There will be enough equipment for multiple stations to be running simultaneously for each track. All participants will need to have proper PPE, including hard hat, safety glasses, rubber gloves and sleeves, FR clothing and proper work boots. There is a limit of 20 participants per track. *If once at the school it is discovered a participant is in the wrong rubber gloving track, they will be shifted to the other track.
Apparatus Track: Day one will include presentations on truck inspections, metering and an outdoor metering presentation to discuss theory of electricity arounds ground(s). It will prove what the presenter talked about in the classroom portion so participants can see first-hand how their work methods/behavior can either adversely or improve the device reading/display. Day two will cover regulators and reclosers. Day three will cover transformers and transformer theory.
Drone Flight Track: The classroom portion on day one will include a presentation on overall safety as well as drone flight instruction. Days two & three will be in-field days. Day three will also include a recertification review session. The in-field practical of drone capabilities and techniques around de-energized and energized electric facilities will be covered. Attendees must have a current drone pilots license to participate in the class. If possible, we ask that participants bring their own drone for the class. If participants don’t have a drone, the instructor can provide one. Proper PPE of a hard hat and glasses are required. There is a limit of 12 attendees for this track, with the exception that 2 pilots per drone will be allowed, so up to 24 attendees if cooperatives send two attendees who will use the same drone.
The registration deadline for this school is May 22, 2026. Due to limited slots available, we encourage registering as early as possible. To register for this course, please complete the attached registration form and email it back to me at meca@mtco-ops.com.
For those participants needing overnight accommodations, MECA has established a room block at the Holiday Inn Express in Helena. This hotel is a relatively close to the training facility and close to restaurants. The price per room is $240/$255 + tax, depending on room type. To book in the block, you can use this link.
Once in the booking site, be sure to select the dates you will be staying, as it defaults to the 4 nights we have rooms reserved in the block. You must make reservations by May 22, 2026 to receive the block rate. You can also make reservations by calling the hotel directly at 406-442-7500 and asking for the MECA Tech School block.
This school is a collaboration of the MECA lineman subcommittee and the MECA safety & loss control instructors. We are appreciative of the time and effort both groups have put in to put this event together.