AEP Texas Service Mechanic A Isaac Gonzalez was recognized by the Rio Grande Valley District Safety Committee as the August Good Catch winner after identifying and safely resolving a potentially dangerous energized meter situation in Rio Grande City. While responding to an AMI transformer outage, Gonzalez noticed the meter display was blank even though the customers had power, prompting him to take extra precautions before opening the meter can.

By wearing his rubber gloves and following safety procedures, Gonzalez discovered a burned lead on the meter's line side and determined the service was energized. He de-energized the service at the pole to eliminate the hazard and warned the customers about the issue so repairs could be made. Gonzalez said the incident reinforces the importance of trusting PPE, not appearance, and never skipping safety steps.