CUC send second group of linepersons to assist with restoration efforts in the British Virgin Islands

A second group of linepersons from CUC’s Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Operations department left Grand Cayman on Sunday, November 5th to assist the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) with the restoration of power following the passing of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in September.

Mr. Andrew Wood, Supervisor Line Services, will head up the second team of linepersons which includes Devin Douglas, Shandi Wagner, Tyler Krysik and Rasheed Suazo.

In early October, the Company sent seven linepersons to the British Overseas Territory to assist with restoration efforts. CUC’s assistance is being offered in conjunction with the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation’s (CARILEC) Disaster Assistance Programme (CDAP), which coordinates regional efforts to respond to requests for assistance from disaster stricken member utilities. The programme is facilitated by the CARILEC Disaster Fund which is indispensable to the successful implementation of disaster restoration efforts among CARILEC Member utilities.

This second group of linepersons will join-up with two members from the original group that travelled in October – Alvin Shol and Evan Casey – who have agreed to stay on and continue assisting with restoration efforts. The remaining five linepersons from the first group, which includes Geraude (Jerry) Holness (Supervisor, T&D Operations), Jessie Bodden, Ricardo Heron, Miguel Goldbourne and Michael Clark-Pompa, are scheduled to return to Grand Cayman today, Tuesday, November 7th.

According to Mr. Geraude (Jerry) Holness, who lead the first team to BVI, “We could never have imagined the level of destruction that greeted those of us who travelled to Tortola, British Virgin Islands. It is estimated that approximately 90% of Tortola’s electrical distribution system was destroyed as a result of the hurricane. With no time to spare, we quickly organised ourselves and were assigned the rebuilding of one of the main feeders on the island. Since starting the job in October, the feeder is almost 70% complete and along the way we connected multiple overhead and underground services energizing approximately 380 customer meters. This is the highest number of customers connected since October amongst all the crews from around the region who are assisting with restoration efforts in BVI. The people of Tortola are especially grateful for the assistance from all the crews and this first group of linepersons has taken great pride in representing CUC and the Cayman Islands.”

So far this year, CUC has also assisted with restoration efforts in the Turks & Caicos Islands following the passing of Hurricane Irma in September.

This second group of linepersons is scheduled to return to the Cayman Islands in December.

IMAGES:

The second group of CUC linepersons who travelled to the British Virgin Islands to assist with restoration efforts, are pictured with CUC’s President & CEO Richard Hew (right), Manager T&D Operations Robert Whorms (third from right), Superintendent T&D Operations Gary Whittaker (fourth from left) and Emergency Preparedness Committee Chairman Darren Ebanks (second from left). Linepersons include from left, Devin Douglas, Shandi Wagner, Tyler Krysik, Andrew Wood and Rasheed Suazo.

A CUC lineperson assists with attaching pole line hardware to a newly planted pole on Tortola, British Virgin Islands.