On Tuesday October 30, 2012 five members of the Oconomowoc Electric Utility crew packed gear and safety supplies into their trucks and headed to eastern Pennsylvania where many towns were hard hit by "Superstorm Sandy".Upon arrival they will work with local Utility teams to help restore power.
Joining the Oconomowoc team in the Mutual Aid request were staff from Sun Prairie Water & Light, Stoughton Utilities, Elroy Utilities, Marshfield Utilities, Wisconsin Rapids Water & Light, Rice Lake Utilities and Hartford Utilities. The crews in bucket trucks, pickup trucks and digger trucks traveled together from Oconomowoc to their destination just outside of Allentown, PA.
"Responding to emergency situations like this really shows the type of commitment these electrical linemen have." said Dennis Bednarski, General Manager of Oconomowoc Utilities. "These are the kind of events we train for, prepare for and respond to whether in our community or across the country. We want to make a difference and getting power restored as quickly and safely as possible is our way of contributing."
The length of the crews stay in Pennsylvania is not known yet as they are still assessing the damage. Updates on the Mutual Aid response will be posted periodically.