Warren RECC sending crews to help with hurricane relief effort

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Hurricane Dorian is quickly approaching the eastern coast of the United States.

Local officials have already begun their preparations for the aftermath of the storm’s high winds and heavy rains, but they’re not the only ones preparing their crews to help assist with the relief effort.

On Tuesday morning, Warren RECC will be sending four electrical crews to help repair any damage and restore power lines in areas that will be hit by Dorian.

“They are all going to one,” said Kim Phelps, senior director of communications for Warren RECC. “It’s Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation. That is in Hilliard, Florida, which is real close to Jacksonville.”

The crews consist of three men per team, 12 in total, all of whom are volunteers.

“That’s just how they’re wired,” Phelps said. “They have a heart for service. When they see something that needs to be done, they don’t think twice about heading out to the storm. In fact, they’re ready for it. They say, ‘When can I go? I’m ready.'”

Twelve workers might not seem like a large amount of reinforcements for the cause, but Phelps said it can make a huge difference with the cleanup efforts.

“It’s almost like an army,” she said. “We’re pretty proud of that. We have pictures of our trucks, not just Warren’s but all of the cooperative trucks and our municipal friends.”

A silver lining in a situation like this is that this sort of scenario provides good experience for these power line workers.

“This is a good training opportunity,” said Phelps. “Any time that our guys get to go out in a storm it helps them sharpen their skills for when it happens at home.”

Warren RECC customers shouldn’t be concerned by less workers in town to address their own needs here.

Phelps said service will continue as normal and won’t be hindered during the absence of these crews.

“Our first priority is our members,” she said. “We always have enough staff here to cover anything from regular maintenance to emergencies.”

The crews are expected to remain in Florida for as long as needed, but Warren RECC does have relief crews on standby if needed.