By JOHN DAHLIA
NCWV Media
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — As part of its longstanding tradition of assisting other electric companies during large-scale power outages, FirstEnergy Corp., including subsidiary MonPower based in Fairmont, will send nearly 900 linemen, damage assessors, electrical contractors, forestry crews and support personnel to help utilities in Florida restore power after expected outages caused by Hurricane Irma.
Out of the 900 employee that FirstEnergy is dispatching to Florida, 24 are from service centers across West Virginia. The plan, according to FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Meyers, is to leave early Saturday morning and meet in Cayce, South Carolina, where they will wait.
“For now, it looks like they may remain there until the storm passes through, and then on to Lake City, Florida,” Meyers said. “It really will depend on timing of the storm and travel conditions. If the forecast changes, they might push to Lake City sooner. FirstEnergy crews will assist Tampa Electric, Duke and Florida Power and Light.”
Along with personnel, Mon Power is sending seven bucket trucks, several pickup trucks and two special digger trucks, Meyers said.
“They are used to bore into the ground so crews can set-up a new utility pole,” he added.
Along with Mon Power, all 10 of FirstEnergy’s utilities are part of the mutual-assistance effort, which also includes crews from Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company (CEI) and Toledo Edison in Ohio; Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power and Met-Ed in Pennsylvania; Potomac Edison in West Virginia and Maryland; and Jersey Central Power & Light in New Jersey. Support personnel from FirstEnergy’s corporate offices also are included in the company’s contingent.
“FirstEnergy employees are committed to assisting with what is likely to be a massive power restoration effort in Florida,” Steven Strah, senior vice president and president of FirstEnergy Utilities, said in a press release. “While it’s not expected that Hurricane Irma will impact any FirstEnergy service territories, we have carefully assessed conditions and are confident we have the personnel in place to maintain reliable operations for our customers while also assisting those in need in Florida.”
Personnel leaving West Virginia will be prepared for an extended stay of up to two weeks, Meyers said.
“The length of time our crews will be in Florida depends mainly on how severe the damage is,” he said.
Myers said FirstEnergy is a member of multiple electric utility mutual-assistance groups that work cooperatively to restore service to customers when a natural disaster causes large-scale power outages.
Mutual assistance allows utilities to pool their resources to help restore power to customers faster.
In the past, FirstEnergy and its employees have been honored by the Edison Electric Institute with its “Emergency Assistance Award” for the mutual assistance the company has provided during winter and summer storms.
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