Tower Tech Joel Miller fell from this 253-foot tower in Patrick, Nevada owned by American Tower Corp.
To clarify the misinformation that has appeared on social and other media regarding a recent industry fatality, Broken Arrow Communications, Inc.’s (BACOM) President, Dan Filler, has provided a statement to Wireless Estimator:
“On July 11, 2019, Joel Miller, a Broken Arrow Communications, Inc. employee lost his life following a fall from a tower near Sparks, Nevada.
“Joel was a father of three and a well-respected employee and co-worker.
“There were four other crew members also working on site and the crew was finishing their work for the day.
Just prior to the accident, Joel and the crew foreman had completed their work on the tower.
“It appears Joel was transitioning between fall protection systems when he fell.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Joel’s family and co-workers during this difficult time and we would like to express our gratitude to the Tower Family Foundation and Hubble Foundation for their assistance to Joel’s family.”
In one media report, Storey County Sheriff Gerald Antinoro stated, Miller was “alone on the tower.”
A BACOM representative informed Wireless Estimator that he was concerned that the industry might think that there were no other crew members on site and that the Sheriff’s minimal knowledge about the incident could be misconstrued.
He emphasized that BACOM has dedicated safety personnel and one of the industry’s most stringent safety programs embraced by all company workers.
