AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp.'s (NYSE: FE) utilities will send additional employees from Maryland and Pennsylvania to assist with power restoration in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, which has disrupted electric service to more than 1.5 million customers across the southeast.
More than 250 FirstEnergy line workers and support personnel are now involved in the effort, including approximately 125 employees sent earlier this week from Ohio and West Virginia. In addition, the company has released more than 175 contractor employees to assist with restoration work.
FirstEnergy's crews are initially scheduled to assist Georgia Power in Georgia and Dominion Energy in Virginia with restoration efforts, which will include assessing damage, replacing broken poles, stringing new wires and replacing other equipment as needed to restore power. These efforts also include special hazards like blocked roads, localized flooding and wildlife hazards that are difficult to predict ahead of time.
"Just as out-of-state utilities assist us when major storms impact our customers, FirstEnergy is committed to sending our crews to other states to help massive power restoration efforts," said Samuel L. Belcher, senior vice president and president of FirstEnergy Utilities. "We understand that power outages complicate customers' ability to recover from the extensive storm impacts, and all the crews are focused on working together to restore electric service safely and as efficiently as possible."
FirstEnergy is a member of multiple electric utility mutual-assistance groups that work cooperatively to restore service to customers when a natural disaster causes large-scale power outages. Mutual assistance allows utilities to pool their resources to help restore power to customers faster. In the past, FirstEnergy and its employees have been honored by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) with its "Emergency Assistance Award" for the mutual assistance the company has provided during winter and summer storms.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. Visit FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: A video discussing the work crews will do to assist with power restoration is available on YouTube.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
