Steele-Waseca board of directors learn of co-op’s line crew assistance in South Carolina and Florida
The Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric board of directors during their regular meeting Thursday, Oct. 24, learned of the co-op’s four line crew member’s experience in restoring power to hurricane-ravaged areas in South Carolina and Florida.
Steele-Waseca had four line technicians and two trucks leave Wednesday evening, Oct. 2, for Laurens, South Carolina to assist Laurens Electric Cooperative. Representing Steele-Waseca was Line Foreman Kevin Kjersten, Assistant Foreman Adam Davis, Assistant Foreman Jake Jablonski, and Line Technician Carlos Cruz.
Steele-Waseca’s crew was among 18 Minnesota electric co-ops that sent lineworkers to help restore power after Hurricane Helene caused outages for more than 1.25 million co-op members in the southeastern U.S.
Kevin remarked among their biggest challenges was finding hotel rooms in South Carolina. He noted the area had endured 24 hours of rain before the winds created the damage causing the power outages.
Steele-Waseca’s line technicians who assisted power recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton are pictured during their last day in South Carolina, Oct. 10, with their “Bird Dog” John Earl Thomas (second from right). Steele-Waseca’s line crew included (left to right): Line Technician Carlos Cruz, Assistant Foreman Jake Jablonski, Assistant Foreman Adam Davis, and Line Foreman Kevin Kjersten.
Kevin detailed their first day involved a safety orientation and working with a coordinator “Bird Dog,” assigned to their crew. He noted how communications wiring for cable TV and telephones were also part of the power poles. The “Bird Dog” and SWCE’s crew had different terminology regarding equipment and made fun of the Minnesotan vocabulary, but Kevin remarked how the area residents were “super nice;” and “Really happy to see us.”
Jake reported how they had to utilize a boat from a neighboring residence to bring a power line across water. Adam noted the roads in South Carolina didn’t have ditches, which made navigating the roads “very interesting.”
After a week, the Steele-Waseca line crew left South Carolina at 3 p.m., and were in Dade City, Florida by 1 a.m. to assist Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative following Hurricane Milton. FEMA had set up a camp for assisting line crews, Jake remarked of how there was free water, Gatorade, and laundry service.
Kevin detailed the work that was completed in restoring power in that area of Florida. The co-op they assisted had 150 employed line technicians.
Jake noted their array of equipment, including boats, allowed their line technicians to respond to any number of situations.
“Every day we were in water,” said Adam.
“Every day it was rising,” said Kevin. He noted how they had to go back to restored locations and disconnect the power due to the rising water going into houses.
Assistant Foreman Jake Jablonski needed to utilize a boat to transport line to a power pole in South Carolina.
The crew headed back to Minnesota Oct. 15, and appreciated the opportunity to assist. “I’d go every year if I could,” said Kevin, noting the people’s appreciation of their efforts, even though workdays were often from 6 a.m. to past 9 p.m.
Steele-Waseca board members expressed their appreciation for the line crew’s willingness to serve, citing the cooperative principle, Cooperation among Cooperatives, and the potential need of their crews to help Steele-Waseca if a situation takes place.
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