Linemen in Florida

KenL

Member
The other day, there was talk about linemen in disaster areas. Just thought I would share what I was just told. The company I worked for, Michels Power, has about 300 linemen, 7 mechanics and, 400 pieces of equip in Florida. Supposedly there are about 25,000 line workers there.That's quite a job overseeing all that and feeding and supplying sleeping quarters for all of them,
 
A few years ago, my youngest son and my older brother were sent to Egg Harbor NJ, which was close to the "eye" of Sandy. (Before the storm hit) Made me a little nervous, to say the least. They were there for damage assessment. They were housed and fed well.
 
Friend bulk fuel truck driver went to Houston with his loaded fuel truck from Iowa to fuel up delivery trucks and generators. He spent about a week there.
 
Hats Off to the brave men and women.

I can't imagine going into a devastated area with power lines down and debris everywhere, totally new to you as you are from "out of town", trying to sort out hot lines from cold ones, getting new poles up, wire strung, readying for power application, hoping you got it all right so that it's a seamless transition when you do, then going on to the next one.

I read up on "who pays for that type of support" and the best answer I could find was that there is a national "club" (if you will) that power companies join for the purpose of self help. Club member companies needing help contact the club who sends out the request to all the members. Funding for the effort is the supplying company.......you fund your own crews.

So, I guess we pay a little extra in our power bill every month that goes into an escrow account setup up for that purpose. That's OKFINE with me.
 
(quoted from post at 09:58:47 09/17/17) Hats Off to the brave men and women.

I can't imagine going into a devastated area with power lines down and debris everywhere, totally new to you as you are from "out of town", trying to sort out hot lines from cold ones, getting new poles up, wire strung, readying for power application, hoping you got it all right so that it's a seamless transition when you do, then going on to the next one.

I read up on "who pays for that type of support" and the best answer I could find was that there is a national "club" (if you will) that power companies join for the purpose of self help. Club member companies needing help contact the club who sends out the request to all the members. Funding for the effort is the supplying company.......you fund your own crews.

So, I guess we pay a little extra in our power bill every month that goes into an escrow account setup up for that purpose. That's OKFINE with me.

Great post......well said.
 
Mark;
The national club as you call it is a new thing.
It was started about 2012 when Sandy hit.
If you think about it Sandy hit a well populated area about a week before a national election.
So everyone was jumping threw hoops.
Before this it was like one electric company calling another and asking for a cup of sugar.

All the club does is coordinate who can go; where they are needed; and who gets the call.
Saves the electric company time they do not have as now they only need to make one phone call.

I do not know how it works now but just a few years ago the requesting company paid the bill. But for those along the coast or in high ice areas it is just passing IOU's back and forth. I am still paying a monthly surcharge on my electric bill every month to pay off Katrina debt.


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In my younger days, I supported such disasters as a ground man with Dominion Energy of Va. We do not do it because it is fun. We leave family ,sometimes when they are without power. We have a duty to our fellow man,and many times we worked 16 to 24 hours straight. But when you do those long days, or nights ,and throw fuse in, and A,B, and C phase light up ,Then you stand back ,and say yep! Earned my pay today. God bless the Lineman,and those who support him,or her! Just sayin. CM
 
DTE Energy and Consumers Energy have sent about 200 crews from Michigan. They were packing up and headed south brfore the storm had even quit. A thousand Michigan National Guard were mobilized, but called off.
 

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