AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the
preparation efforts in advance of Winter
Storm Harper, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) utilities have
secured more than 2,300 additional resources, including 1,300
electrical contractors, to assist in the company areas expected to
be impacted the most this weekend.
Beginning Saturday and into Sunday, the severe weather is
expected to produce heavy snow, freezing rain, ice and high winds
along a line that runs from central Ohio across Pennsylvania and into northern New
Jersey.
Jersey Central Power & Light additional resources
include:
- 500 electrical contractors
- 200 forestry contractors
- 200 hazard responders
- 100 damage assessors
- 100 support personnel
- Staging site in Livingston
Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed) additional resources include:
- 226 electrical contractors
- 100 hazard responders
- 90 damage assessors
- 50 public protectors
- Staging site in Easton
Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec) additional resources
include:
- 150 electrical contractors
- 80 hazard responders
West Penn Power additional resources include:
- 332 electrical contractors
- 60 hazard responders
- 15 damage assessors
- Staging site in New
Stanton
Ohio Edison additional resources include:
- 120 electrical contractors in Springfield area
All of FirstEnergy's electric utilities have implemented storm
response plans and employees are prepared to work 16-hour shifts
around the clock until all power outages caused by Winter Storm Harper have been restored. In
addition, the company has been in contact with electrical
contractors and electric industry mutual assistance organizations
about the possibility of securing additional resources to assist
with storm restoration efforts should they be needed.
"We have proactively brought in additional electrical
contractors to assist our own utility personnel should Winter Storm Harper cause wide spread power
outages in the areas we serve," said Sam
Belcher, senior vice president of FirstEnergy and president
of FirstEnergy Utilities. "In addition, staging sites are
being finalized in several areas to ensure the additional personnel
is able begin the restoration process in a safe and effective
manner."
FirstEnergy utilities include Jersey Central Power & Light
in New Jersey: Metropolitan Edison
Company (Met-Ed), Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec),
Pennsylvania Power (Penn Power), and West Penn Power in
Pennsylvania; Ohio Edison, The
Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison in Ohio; Mon Power in West Virginia; and Potomac Edison in
Maryland and West Virginia.
Customers who are without power are encouraged to call
1-888-LIGHTSS
(1-888-544-4877) to report their outage or click the "Report
Outage" link on www.firstenergycorp.com. In the event of
severe weather, customers should immediately report downed wires to
their utility or their local police or fire department.
Customers should never go near a downed power line, even if they
think it is no longer carrying electricity. Extra caution
should be exercised in areas where downed wires may be tangled in
downed tree branches or other debris.
For updated information on the company's current outages,
FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe,
visit the 24/7 Power Center at
www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.
Customers are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of
outages caused by severe winter weather:
- Keep electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops and tablet
computers fully charged to be ready for any emergencies.
- Keep a flashlight, portable radio and extra batteries handy in
the event a power interruption occurs. Tune to a local
station for current storm information.
- Never use a portable generator inside the house or a closed
garage in the event of a power outage. Ensure the proper
generator is selected and installed by a qualified
electrician. When operating a generator, the power coming
into the home should always be disconnected. Otherwise, power
from the generator could be sent back onto the utility lines,
creating a hazardous situation for utility workers.
- Gather extra blankets or a sleeping bag for each person.
Do not use gas stoves, kerosene heaters or other open-flame
heat sources to prevent deadly carbon monoxide gas from building up
in your home.
- If you have a water well and pump, keep an emergency supply of
bottled water and/or fill your bathtub with fresh water.
- Stock an emergency supply of convenience foods that do not
require cooking.
- Mobile phones can be charged in your vehicle using a car
charger when the power is out. If you have a smart phone,
this will ensure you have access to online information
sources.
FirstEnergy customers also can subscribe to email and text
message alert notifications to receive weather alerts in advance of
major storms, and updates on scheduled or extended power
outages. Customers can also use two-way text messaging to
report outages, request updates on restoration efforts, and make
other inquiries about their electric accounts. More
information about these communications tools is available online at
www.firstenergycorp.com/connect.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational
excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one
of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving
customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, West Virginia,
Maryland and New York. The
company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles
of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at
www.firstenergycorp.com and Follow FirstEnergy and its
operating companies on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp, @ToledoEdison,
@IlluminatingCo, @OhioEdison, @MonPowerWV, @JCP_L, @Penn_Power,
@Penelec, @Met_Ed, @PotomacEdison, @W_Penn_Power.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.