Taylor authorized the crew to temporarily loan the generator to Jenkins’ mom.īaldwin EMC member services representative Salina Jenkins (Photo By: Baldwin EMC)
“We called Jody to see if we could let her use it.” “We carry generators on our vehicles as standard equipment on mutual aid assignments so we can be self-sufficient when power is not available,” said Dorman. While they couldn’t restore her electricity, the makings of a quick fix were available on their service truck. We did have a crew not too far away, but with the weak cell service it took multiple tries to reach them.”Ĭoncluding a double shift, Baldwin EMC crew chiefs Kevin Dorman and Louis Ruffin detoured their service truck to Grozier’s home before a mandatory rest break.
“So I checked our vehicle location system to see if we had anyone in the area. “I heard how concerned was about her mother,” said Taylor. Grozier’s home was near the Ocala National Forest, a sparsely populated area near the end of co-op lines. 12, even as co-op crews continued to arrive in Florida to aid with power restoration.īut Jenkins was understandably concerned about her mom.
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Sixteen-hour shifts were in full swing Sept. Activity was focused where access was not impeded by hurricane debris or flooding and where crews could restore power for the most members possible. Within days, co-op crews from 11 states were working across Clay Electric’s service territory. They were on the road less than 12 hours after the storm hit,” said Jody Taylor, Baldwin EMC’s vice president of operations. “We had 47 staffers in the initial wave of crews dispatched to help Clay Electric. “My mom couldn’t breathe,” Jenkins recalled.īaldwin EMC was one of several electric cooperatives in more than six states initially contacted by Clay Electric Cooperative for mutual aid assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Temperatures climbed into the 90s, and with all the rain and flooding caused by the hurricane, escaping oppressive humidity was impossible. Her mother and an aunt remained in their home, but “we were on day three and she still didn’t have power,” said Jenkins. Jenkins, 49, a member services representative at Baldwin Electric Membership Corp., in Summerdale, Alabama. “She had quite a bit of damage from this storm,” said Salina C. Grozier, 74, uses an oxygen concentrator, and as her Keystone Heights, Florida-based co-op geared up for the massive task of restoring service to 150,000 of its meters, her worried daughter was more than 400 miles away. When hurricane-force winds knocked out electric service to 90 percent of Clay Electric Cooperative’s members, she was in the dark, her appliances were disabled, and her mobile devices stopped recharging. (Photo By: Baldwin EMC)Ĭarol Grozier was at home as heavy rain from Hurricane Irma began pelting Orange Springs, Florida, last September. Baldwin EMC CEO Karen Moore honors Louis Ruffin, Kevin Dorman and Jody Taylor for helping the mother of co-op staffer Salina Jenkins in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
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