Mother Nature knows no holiday, and that’s why even though the Labor Day Holiday weekend is at hand, more than 350 Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) employees and contractors will start to leave for Florida over the next 24 hours to be in position to respond to whatever wake Hurricane Dorian leaves behind. The crews will work to restore power across Florida once it’s safe to make restoration efforts.
I&M employees deploying to Florida are based throughout I&M’s service territory including not only crews from Southwest Michigan, but also across the Fort Wayne area, the Muncie/Marion area, and from the South Bend/Elkhart area.
A majority of the I&M personnel will be line mechanics and forestry experts, however, I&M will also send assessors to help with damage assessments along with safety and health experts and fleet mechanics.
Along with personnel, I&M will arrive in Florida with several bucket trucks, digger derricks – which help dig to replace power poles and several pickup trucks for the utility crews.
I&M is joining other American Electric Power operating companies to answer the call for mutual aid in the wake of natural disasters.
Consumers Energy is also sending more than 60 employees to Florida this weekend in advance of Hurricane Dorian, which is forecast to make landfall in the state by early Tuesday.
Working with host utility Florida Power & Light, Consumers will send fifteen 3-person lineworker crews, three electric service workers, several field leaders as well as other support personnel and equipment. They are expected to leave for Florida this weekend and may remain there for up to three weeks.
