Rough Winter, Rugged Teammates

Weather conditions in the Midwest are known to be unpredictable. On December 18, 2008 sleet and freezing rain followed by a sudden drop in temperature descended on Fort Wayne, Indiana. The National Weather Service reported a ½-inch of ice on trees, power lines and roadways.

“We received a call from David Guy with Louisville Gas and Electric asking that we dispatch emergency electric crews to Fort Wayne,” says Kenny Thompson, Louisville Supervisor. LG&E works with other utility companies to commit and share resources during a crisis or emergency. Indiana Michigan Power, a division of American Electric Power, had 37,000 outages in its service area.

Team Fishel Supervisors Paul Bruce and Charlie Barnes assembled a group of 25 Teammates to make the trip as well as an assortment of bucket trucks, digger derricks and other equipment.

Once the crews arrived in Fort Wayne, they began resetting utility poles and transformers that were knocked down by fallen tree limbs and repairing services damaged by the weight of the ice.

According to Thompson, Team Fishel has had a good relationship with AEP in Ohio and Virginia. Through the emergency work, he wanted to establish a new relationship with Indiana Michigan Power. “Anytime you go into a new area and get the Team Fishel name out there, it’s a good thing!” The temperature in Fort Wayne hovered close to zero with a wind chill factor in the –20 degrees range.

Working in the extreme cold wasn’t the only stress the Teammates endured. While they were dedicated to restoring power to Fort Wayne, they also wanted to make it home in time for Christmas.

“There were a lot of calls going back and forth between the Teammates and anxious wives,” said Thompson. “These Teammates sacrificed spending Christmas with their families to help the residents of Fort Wayne.”

The crews left Fort Wayne on Christmas morning and arrived home that evening. Thank you, Teammates, for a fantastic job!