Alectra, Fortis join Irma relief efforts
Niagara power workers continue to pitch-in, joining efforts underway to restore power to millions of people left in the dark in the wake of hurricane Irma.
Alectra Utilities employees left their St. Catharines facility at about 6 a.m., Wednesday, forming a convoy of 20 bucket trucks and support vehicles bound for Atlanta, Ga., to assist with power restoration efforts in communities ravaged by the hurricane.
Alectra’s team of 32 powerline technicians and four supervisors includes “fair representation” from the utility’s St. Catharines offices, as well as workers from Stoney Creek, Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan and Barrie, said the utility’s external communications manager John Friesen.
“We put out a call for volunteers among our lines crews, and they came from all corners of our service territory,” he said. “These guys stepped up immediately … When these events occur and happen to our neighbours, we’re there to help. Likewise, they’d be there for us if we needed them.”
Alectra’s St. Catharines location was used as the staging area for the crews, because it “really lends itself to something like this.”
“It is a good spot, right near the highway. There’s plenty of room there, so the guys were able to make sure the trucks were all stocked and ready to go and the paperwork was in order,” he said. “These guys volunteered, they take time away from their families to go down for several weeks often when these events do occur.”
Friesen said hospitals, seniors centres, schools and residences are among the 650,000 customers without power in the area.
“When you’re trying to recover from something like this, you want your power on as quickly as possible so you can start communicating and at least get some semblance of normalcy with respect to the cleanup effort,” he said. “Our crews will be down there assisting with whatever they can to help get everybody back on their feet.”
Meanwhile, FortisOntario dispatched six employees on Monday, to help restore power on the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos.
The Fortis team, including workers from Canadian Niagara Power serving Fort Erie and Port Colborne, as well as from Algoma Power and Cornwall Electric, are part of a team of 58 from the utility’s locations across Canada.
In a media release, Fortis president and CAO Scott Hawkes said the company is “very proud that our team from FortisOntario can assist in these efforts.”
“We look forward to their safe return,” he said.
A convoy of 80 Hydro One vehicles and about 175 utility workers was expected to arrive in Florida Wednesday, joining efforts to restore power to millions of people in that state.
Other local utilities, including Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. (NPEI) in Niagara Falls and Welland Hydro, are on standby ready to offer assistance if needed.
NPEI communications director Sue Forcier said the utility contacted the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency offering to help too, but were told no additional assistance was needed at the time.
“If we’re required, we’re more than willing to assist,” she said.
Welland Hydro customer service director Perry Orosz said the utility is currently monitoring the situation, too.
“We know that there are a lot of utilities” already involved in the restoration efforts.
If their help is needed, Orosz said the utility is prepared to send additional resources to aid efforts already underway.
“We may partner with some larger utilities and the Grid Smart City Group,” he said, referring to the Ontario-based consortium of electricity utilities.
As part of a reciprocal agreement in place with utilities from throughout North America, the cost of the restoration effort is being paid by the areas where the restoration work is being done.
“It’s at no cost to our ratepayers, here,” Friesen said.
In Alectra’s case, Georgia Power is footing the bill, which includes travel, lodging, and reimbursing the workers for the time spent helping restore power.
“These guys are essentially working seven days a week while they’re down there. It’s a disaster zone. It’s not like they’re getting a nice hotel vacation,” Friesen said. “They could be put up in a community centre or a fire hall. They don’t know where they’re going to be necessarily. That will be communicated to them when they get there … They’re not going to Disney, let’s say that.” ABenner@postmedia.com Twitter: @abenner1