More than two dozen linemen, superintendents and engineers from Baldwin EMC are getting ready to hit the road heading into the storm.
Twenty-eight Baldwin EMC employees will head to Keystone Heights, Florida. That’s between Jacksonville and Gainesville. “Three or four days would be the minimum but again it depends on the devastation and restoration efforts,” says Baldwin EMC spokesman Mark Ingram.
Before they go, food, snacks, water and Gatorade are loaded into individual backpacks. Food will be one less thing crews will have to worry about once they are on site.
It’s not unusual for Baldwin EMC to answer the call for help by other electric cooperatives when disaster strikes. “Whenever you mention ice storm, whenever you mention hurricanes or tornadoes or anything like that a natural disaster,” says Ingram, “We have linemen that are ready to go.”
The help will surely be welcome and one day, the favor will be returned.
The crews will leave at eight o’clock Friday morning heading to Florida. Crews from Alabama Power are headed to Georgia.