Army of utility crews arriving, GMP stands ready to fight Super Storm Sandy
In a massive effort to be well prepared for whatever damage Hurricane Sandy brings, Green Mountain Power has secured more than 250 additional line workers and tree trimmers to assist GMP crews in restoring power to customers and communities.
Utility line crews from Canada will be crossing the border this evening and others will enter the state overnight and into the day Monday from as far away as Florida and Tennessee.
Green Mountain Power officials began their request for additional crews six days ago and continued to expand their request as they tracked Hurricane Sandy's narrowing path all week.
These resources will be combined with more than 140 GMP line workers and 130 contract tree trimmers already on the property, and hundreds of support staff. "We have assembled a team that positions us well to rapidly restore power during this event," said Jeremy Baker, spokesperson for GMP. “Bringing in so many workers from out of state nearly doubles our field staff, which will help us get the power back on much faster for customers and communities.”
GMP unveiled a new tool earlier in the week, enhancing its current outage reporting options. The company has added a “Power Out” button on its Facebook page that allows customers an additional avenue to report an outage. “We still encourage all of our customers to call 1-888-835-4672 first to report an outage; however, we have made it as easy as possible for our customers to provide us with their information via the web, their mobile phones, or Facebook,” Baker said.
Every employee at GMP, totaling nearly 700, is on alert and prepared to help customers and communities while we collectively deal with Hurricane Sandy.
GMP also offers the following advice:
Before outages occur, be sure you have a phone that is hard-wired and does not rely on electricity.
Fill a bathtub with water before you lose service so the water can be used to flush toilets when the power is out. PREVENT UNSUPERVISED BATHROOM ACCESS TO CHILDREN.
Treat any downed line as if it is live. Report the line to your local utility and fire department, stay at least 50 feet away from the line, and keep children and pets away as well.
If using a generator, read and follow the owner’s manual before starting it. Never operate a generator inside any structure or near a structure. Use a transfer switch to ensure electricity is not accidentally fed onto a line where line crews must work.
Keep freezers and refrigerators closed as much as possible to prevent food spoilage.
If power goes out, turn off all electrical appliances except one light so you’ll know when service returns. Then, turn equipment back on slowly.
Never use grills inside garages, sheds or other buildings, as the fumes can be poisonous.
Customers may report an outage by calling 1-888-835-4672, visiting GMP’s Outage Center page at www.greenmountainpower.com or by clicking the “Power Out?” button on GMP’s Facebook site.
