Mutual Assistance Strategies

It was a busy year for NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The agency had its hands full with 18 named tropical systems, 11 of which were hurricanes, including five major storms.

The above-average and one of the costliest seasons on record also featured five hurricanes making landfall in the continental U.S., including two as major storms with winds of 111 miles per hour or greater. Adding insult to injury, 12 named storms formed after the climatological peak of the season in early September, including seven in the Atlantic after Sept. 25, the most on record for this period.

Hurricanes and other natural events like wind and ice storms wreak havoc on the electrical grid, often leaving stricken areas without power for extended periods of time. It is then that the nation’s electric utilities not only come to the rescue across their service territories. When the call for help goes out, mutual assistance agreements come into play as well.

For utility fleet managers, proven strategies help ensure a successful response:

Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA)

When mutual assistance is needed at Jacksonville, Florida-based JEA, Justin Hightower, manager, fleet services, heads up a team of associate managers, fleet specialists, vehicle asset coordinators, fleet support associates, fuel drivers, dispatchers and support personnel. He is also charged with coordinating vendors for maintenance services and fuel.

“Our initial storm prep activities include fueling vehicles and generators at pumps and lift stations,” Hightower said. “We also redeploy vehicles and equipment to areas in need, identify and set up staging sites, including JEA service centers and mutual aid locations, and ensure supplies are fully stocked in our storm response trailers. 

“From 24 to 72 hours ahead of a storm, we make sure all rush repairs are completed and that all units are back in service,” Hightower continued. “Fuel totes are delivered and filled at staging sites, and we take delivery of rental vehicles and equipment.”

Communication is essential for storm response preparedness, Hightower noted.  That includes working with operators and crews, and with vendor personnel to present action plans. Ongoing communication with the utility’s Emergency Operations Center is in place as well.

Con Edison of New York and Orange and Rockland Utilities

At Con Edison of New York (CECONY) and Orange and Rockland Utilities (ORU), a centralized storm response operation is put in place under the direction of Stephanie Spencer, transportation operations supervisor. CECONY provides electricity to customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York, along with gas and steam service. ORU serves customers in southeastern New York and adjacent areas of northern New Jersey.

At the operations’ storm response center, a mutual aid fleet from both utilities consists of 91 material handlers, 29 digger derricks, 14 pickup trucks and 17 trailers. “Our team is responsible for making sure all trucks and equipment are ready for a storm,” Spencer related. “Ahead of an event we fuel all vehicles, conduct chassis and aerial PMs, as well as state inspections and make any necessary repairs.”

A key party of the storm response at CECONY and ORU is vehicle fueling. In place to ensure continuous operations are fuel stations at major company locations, a system to fill company tankers, and plans for using company and vendor tankers to fill trucks at staging areas. 

“Emergency preparedness activities in our operation are based on a five-day weather outlook that determines when to activate the storm response plan,” Spencer continued. “That includes requesting assistance when necessary for crews with trucks or personnel to operate our mutual aid fleet. In both cases, we also establish lodging and staging areas and implement onboarding processes.”

NiSource

Pre-storm activities at Merrillville Indiana-based NiSource are supported by an extensive team of experts, company shops, maintenance vendors and 6,800 assets across the utility’s operating companies. “The process begins by coordinating with electric and gas operations personnel,” said Jake Upper, director, fleet operations. “The support of our business partners is essential for determining the need for internal and mutual aid assistance.”

Once those factors are taken into account, Upper noted, vendors are engaged to meet rental, fueling and maintenance needs. At the same time, fleet service trucks and trailers, and warehouse materials trailers are inspected and prepared. “We also inventory all trucks that are in for service at our 12 garage locations,” he related. “The shops determine the severity of out of service units and prioritize those repairs to get them back in the field.”

While the NiSource fleet is being readied for storm response, staging areas are stocked, drivers inspect and fill up vehicles and equipment and central meeting locations are established.

“Once a major storm is declared, mobile command centers are prepped for deployment,” Upper added. “A successful storm response is driven by a well-organized team that works through each department’s roles and responsibilities.”

After the Storm

Several practices are also in place for post storm operations. At NiSource, Upper related, maintenance requests are submitted through a fleet portal and repairs are prioritized based on needs. Fuel vendors are notified and released from duty while any ongoing need for wet hosing is evaluated. Rental equipment is also evaluated and scheduled for return to the vendor.

JEA post-storm operations, according to Hightower, include hotlines for meeting 24-hour fuel and maintenance needs, including on-site and mobile repairs by contract vendors. The fleet also monitors fuel needs for generators and the status of contracted gas stations. Fuel requests are also met with tank trailers, internal fuelers and third-party fuel drivers and trucks.

At Con Edison of New York and Orange and Rockland Utilities, noted Spencer, post-event activities focus on inspecting the mutual aid fleet for damage and making necessary repairs and restocking materials inventories. In addition, as the fleet returns to regular service, preventive maintenance and inspection programs are resumed.

For utility fleet managers, mutual assistance strategies include preparation and planning practices. With those proven approaches, fleets play a pivotal role in turning the lights back on.