FortisTCI has sent three power line workers to assist with electricity service restoration in Jamaica following severe damage to the neighboring island’s energy infrastructure from Hurricane Beryl. The Category 4 storm hit Jamaica on Wednesday, July 3, devastating parts of the island’s southern coast and causing loss of power to over 400,000 customers of energy provider Jamaica Public Service (JPS).
Lineman Foreman Kavin Ewing, Power Line Technician Corean Kelly, and Lineman Foreman Brenton Smith departed for Jamaica on Friday, August 2, and will return on August 13. While in Jamaica, they will join several crews assisting from elsewhere around the Caribbean. During their assignment, the FortisTCI team will work alongside JPS employees in the parish of Manchester, installing poles and transformers and making service connections.
FortisTCI received the request for assistance through the Company’s membership with the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), an association of electric utilities and related services operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean region and elsewhere. Similarly, following a CARILEC request in 2017, FortisTCI sent a five-member crew to Dominica to assist with electricity restoration after Hurricane Maria. Notably, Kavin Ewing was among the crew that went to Dominica and has again volunteered to be part of another hurricane restoration.
FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes stated, “Mutual assistance among utilities is critical to service restoration following disasters such as hurricanes. Through an ongoing mutual assistance arrangement with the Fortis group, over 200 utility workers were on the ground in TCI in 2017 to help FortisTCI restore power, which was completed within 60 days of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
“FortisTCI is pleased to support CARILEC’s efforts to assist utilities affected by Hurricane Beryl and speed up electricity restoration in Jamaica. We are incredibly proud to send three of our best, highly trained, experienced line workers. They have volunteered to go to Jamaica, and the Company applauds their team spirit and dedication. We know all three will do an exceptional job and help bring relief to electricity customers in Jamaica while learning from the experience.”
