The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) has activated its national mutual aid network and is lining up crews to restore power to areas that will be affected by Hurricane Dorian.
Currently, Florida public power has received commitments from approximately 1,500 lineworkers from 20 states, including some from as far away as Minnesota, Wisconsin and New England. Some of these crews will be pre-positioned outside the state and once the all-clear is given, they will begin to move into the impacted communities. It is anticipated that the first out-of-state crews will arrive in Orlando on Sunday.
These crews will be joining the 6,000+ employees, including 1,000 lineworkers, from Florida’s 33 public power communities, all of whom will be working around the clock before, during and after the storm.
“Public power communities pull together in times of need and we are so thankful to have the support of communities not just in our own state, but from across the country,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA executive Director. “With their help, we will be able to work together to restore power quickly and safely to as many people as possible as we have during previous years’ storms.”
Mutual Aid Agreements enable municipal utilities to call on each other for emergency workers and supplies. Florida’s public power utilities benefit from this strong network of partners within Florida and across the country through the American Public Power Association. Florida’s public power communities also have forged mutual aid arrangements with Florida’s investor-owned utilities. These dependable connections have created a reliable system where member utilities both request and offer assistance.
