September 10, 2024—Dan Dickey was taking another test, just another certification in a long line of certs he has completed since 2003. What made this dedicated pile driver certification different was that it was the 2 millionth certification exam administered by CCO!
Dickey grew up in central Maine near Pittsfield, the headquarters of Cianbro, a company that has always been a staple of the community and a longtime supporter of CCO. He started working for Cianbro when he was 15, mowing the lawns around the yard and doing grounds work. While in college during summer break, he got his first real chance to start working with the tools and receive training on how to operate some equipment.
“It’s kind of funny that someone from Cianbro took the 2 millionth exam,” Dickey said. “We have been involved with CCO since the early days in the 1990s. Doug Sidelinger was a commissioner back in the day, then Roy Bolton and David Doherty today. We have even volunteered at the Board level with Doug LaCroix currently serving. We have a history with CCO.”
Dickey has been recertified four times throughout the years adding multiple certifications throughout his journey. He started with CCO mobile crane operator certifications, then signalperson, rigger, lift director, tower, overhead, digger derrick, and finally taking CCO’s 2 millionth exam when he added the dedicated pile driver.
He is now a crane operator instructor, teaching people within Cianbro how to use the machines, prepare for tests and do hands-on practical training in the yard. When not busy doing that, he fills in as a crane operator at different sites or for emergencies. By traveling to different sites, he gets to see various types of jobs, run cranes in different configurations, and connect with colleagues he has worked with for the past 20 years.
“CCO requires recertification every five years, and I think that’s extremely beneficial,” Dickey said. “We brush up on the standards and practices, and it gives us a chance to connect with operators to find out what is happening on our various projects. If you don't use that knowledge and skill, you lose it.” He added, “I think every five years is a good period of time to recertify. The cranes and lifts keep getting bigger and more technical. It’s good to bring people back in and review safety protocols that change in that time.”
A memorable project Dickey worked on was the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. It was one of his first times operating a friction crane, the Manitowoc 4100.
“It’s the Cadillac of old friction cranes. It played a large role in countless projects across this country, from the time it was built in the 1960s to today," he said. “It was my first time running a friction crane, and it was set up in a tower configuration. It was like nothing I had run before.”
When not on the job, Dickey loves to attend concerts and listen to live music or travel with his family. He has been to Europe with them many times, including a recent trip to Italy where he visited historic cities like Venice, Verona, Bologna, and the Dolomite Mountains. In the future, he's looking forward to new projects with Cianbro, cheering on the Patriots this fall and skiing at his local ski resort Sugarloaf.