Local linemen sacrifice holiday at home to aid those without power downstate

11 years ago

When thinking of first responders — the people who come to the rescue in the event of an emergency — often the first people to come to mind are police, firefighters or paramedics. But when it comes to ice and snow storms, oftentimes the one providing the greatest assistance is the utility worker who answers the call, day or night, to repair downed lines and restore power as quickly as possible. Frequently, crews from many locations, both in and out of state, join forces, working together to get electricity flowing to homes and businesses affected by Mother Nature’s wrath.

Such has been the case for several local linemen who traveled downstate shortly before Christmas and who remain there still, working to clear branches from lines, fix broken poles and get things back to normal as quickly as possible.
Bob Potts, communications specialist with Bangor Hydro Electric Company and Maine Public Service, said crews from throughout Maine responded Dec. 22 to several areas of the state, primarily in Hancock and Washington counties, following the ice storm that struck the region on Dec. 21.
“Crews have been working in slick travel conditions. Outages have been widespread,” said Potts.
He said customers in Aroostook County were relatively unaffected by the storm.
“Maine Public Service sent a total of five two-man crews to assist in the restoration efforts in Downeast and central Maine, including four line crews and one tech services (electrician) crew. On Friday we were also joined by two supervisors from MPS,” said Potts.
Potts said company officials considered the needs of local customers before sending crews south.
“We were very careful to work with managers in Aroostook County to make sure the needs of MPS customers were also covered while crews traveled to assist Bangor Hydro customers,” said Potts.
According to Susan Faloon, spokeswoman for BHEC and MPS, “It’s been all hands on deck” for more than a week now.
“Crews have been working continuously to restore power after the ice storm that began Saturday evening (Dec. 21) brought down power lines and tree limbs,” affecting thousands of Bangor Hydro customers, Faloon said.
In addition to MPS crews, utility crews have also come from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, New Jersey and elsewhere.
According to Faloon, more than 100,000 utility customers in Maine were without power at one point. That number has dropped significantly as repairs continue, with the latest estimate closer to 1,000 still without power as of Dec. 30.
“Additional snows overnight brought about a new slate of outages for BH customers and the crews who’ve been working for more than a week to restore service following last week’s ice storm,” said Potts on Monday. “Last evening outages dropped below 1,000 for the first time in more than a week, but snow from this new storm has weighed down tree limbs and ice-covered power lines, causing new outages.”
Potts said crews worked through the night to restore service and more will be deployed this morning from BH, MPS, outside contractors and other utilities.
To report a power outage in northern Maine, call 877-655-4448.
“The public is reminded to stay clear of downed lines or trees that have come in contact with them. Anyone using an alternate heat source should follow the manufacturer’s safety precautions. And generators should always be well ventilated,” said Potts.
Life of a lineman’s wife
Kim Lauritsen, whose husband Jon is among the linemen who responded to help restore power downstate, said she’s used to holding down the fort at their Presque Isle home, since this isn’t the first time Jon’s been sent out on such a project.
“Jon started work at MPS around September 1989. His position there is live-line bare hand lead worker, 1st class,” explained Lauritsen.
She said line crews used to stay out of town for weeks (home on weekends) on jobs that were far enough away (Fort Kent, Island Falls) to make driving back each day inconvenient.
“I remember he once spent almost an entire summer out of town. Now, for the most part, they travel daily, even if the job is hours away. When they travel to help restore power lost because of a catastrophic event, it’s called ‘emergency assistance,’ and MPS has always — at least as long as Jon has been there — gone downstate or even out-of-state to help, if needed,” Lauritsen said, noting she’s lost count how many times he’s gone on such calls.
“It’s usually two or three days, but when the damage is widespread and severe, like from this last ice storm, it could be much longer. Jon was called Sunday (Dec. 22) to let him know he was headed out at 6 a.m. the next morning,” said Lauritsen.
She said when she spoke to him recently he had no idea when he’d be home.
“When you have a household to run, everyone has their jobs, so when someone is taken out of the mix, it’s always inconvenient. I know it’s especially hard for families with small children. When Jon is gone, I have to take over his household duties, including snow-blowing the driveway, hauling pellets for the stove, laundry — yes, Jon does laundry!” she said.
“I leave for work mid-afternoon; Jon usually gets home around 5 p.m. We have two dogs who are walked twice a day. I take them in the morning and Jon walks them in the evening. When he is out of town, I have to find someone to walk them, usually my brother, or leave work to walk them,” continued Lauritsen.
Lauritsen said this trip, however, has been very different, since it included Christmas.
“It was very strange without Jon at home; we have never spent a Christmas apart in 38 years. But I like my own company fine and just felt a little lonely,” Lauritsen said, noting she’s sure all the men working downstate missed celebrating with their families, but for the most part, “they take it in stride.”
“It’s their job. Up in The County, our electrical outages are few and usually power’s quickly restored. It’s a different story downstate. Our son lives in Buxton and when he loses power because of storm damage, it can be a week or two before it’s restored,” she said.
Lauritsen said because of this, the people downstate are mostly grateful to the electrical workers.
“In this trip — and past trips — customers have brought the workers coffee and food; someone even gave Jon a box of chocolates the other day. When power is restored in a section, it’s not uncommon for people to line the road cheering,” said Lauritsen. “There is a huge difference between completing a hard job with no one noticing and completing the same job with a cheering section!”
The lineworkers appreciate the recognition, she said, adding it’s not a job she’d care to do.
“Though it can be rewarding, you could not pay me enough to do this work. Imagine being called out of a warm bed at 3 a.m. on a January morning with 30 mph winds, heavy snowfall and a wind chill factor of negative 25 degrees. Now imagine working atop a 40-foot pole in those conditions. Nope, not for me,” said Lauritsen.
There’s also the danger factor.
“Then there’s the fact this is a very dangerous job. Having a son who always chose the more extreme sports — hockey, snowboarding, motocross — in which to participate taught me that worrying does absolutely no good. So I don’t worry,” she said.
She said she’s learned to accept and understands the job her husband does and loves him all the more for his dedication.
“Even though plans are sometimes ruined, or put on hold, I never feel anything more negative than mild frustration when Jon is called out. He has an incredible work ethic, is a good man and I am proud of him,” said Lauritsen.�