Fourteen Idaho Power employees are on their way to the Northeast to help with Hurricane Sandy relief. The crews will work with Long Island Power Authority to turn the electricity back on in its coverage areas.
The Idaho Power crews are sending ten trucks that can be used to drill holes for new poles, and repair overhead lines. According to Idaho Power spokesman Kevin Winslow, the workers should arrive in Long Island Wednesday night.
“The crews will definitely be a help, but any additional resources as far as these line beds or bucket trucks will definitely be appreciated back East,” says Winslow.
Idaho Power will join a number of other western utilities who are also helping. Rocky Mountain Power, which serves Utah and areas of Idaho and Wyoming, flew 18 people to assist with recovery efforts in hard-hit New Jersey.
Rocky Mountain Power’s Maria O’Mara says it’s common for power companies to help each other
“There is sort of a brotherhood among these men who do this kind of work," O'Mara says. "They watch the news and they see probably with a more trained eye than the rest of us the damage and what needs to be done, and they’re anxious to help.”
Rocky Mountain and Idaho Power will be reimbursed for work, which could last up to three weeks in the Northeast.
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