O & R Increases Workforce by 50% to Repair Downed Wires and Restore Service

By Sarah Morgenstern

Orange & Rockland expanded its workforce by nearly 50%, after yesterday’s powerful late-winter storm brought to Rockland Country: not just heavy rains, gusty winds, and as many as eight inches of snow, but many power outages as well.

To restore electrical service interruptions, O & R mobilized its emergency response group to repair damage to overhead electrical wires and remove downed trees.

Other O & R team members are ensuring safety at sites of service disruptions and providing customer service. 

While O & R crews prioritize clearing downed wires that block roads and making repairs to buildings that provide emergency services, such as police and fire stations and hospitals, for example, then crews will restore service at locations that will provide power to the largest number of customers: as quickly as possible, before crews restore smaller and individual customers’ power outages, O & R says on its website.

Residents should assume that any downed wires are “energized and dangerous,” warned O & R, which said to stay at least 50 feet away. “For safety’s sake: do not approach, come near, or touch any downed wire.”

Instead, residents who see any storm damage to electrical wires and trees should call O&R immediately toll-free at (877) 434-4100 or at oru.com/ReportOutage, where customers can also check for updates on the restoration of their power. If traffic needs to be diverted, O&R asks residents to call their local police, as well.

“If you experienced a power outage, don’t assume that O&R automatically knows about it,” said O&R, which added that customers can also download an O&R app to provide reports and receive updates.

Photo Credit: O & R