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START RESTORATION WORK IN MISSISSIPPI Crews Join OUC Water Employees Already in Gulf Coast Area ORLANDO – A convoy of 14 trucks hit the road for hurricane restoration work in Gulfport, Miss., early Sunday morning and are OUC—The Reliable One’s second wave of crews sent to the Gulf Coast in less than a week. The 18 OUC employees are expected to work 16-hour shifts in the heavily damaged areas around Gulfport, one of the regions hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. After two weeks, this crew is likely to come back to Central Florida and be replaced by a fresh set of OUC electric employees. In the 2004 hurricane season, more than 2,000 electric linemen and tree trimmers came to Orlando to assist with OUC restoration efforts following Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne. For OUC, now is the time to give back. “Our hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and we will do everything we can to help,” said Ken Ksionek, OUC General Manager and CEO. “Three times last year crews from around the country came to help restore power in Orlando. Now OUC wants show that same generosity of spirit after this devastating storm.” On Sept. 9, OUC water crews traveled to Hattiesburg, Miss., to assist restoration of that region’s drinking water service. From Hattiesburg, the crews are traveling about an hour south each day to work in damaged areas. Shifts last up to 14 hours each day. “We were fortunate that our employees kept OUC’s water plants up and running after last year’s hurricanes,” Ksionek said. “Our goal is to help these communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible, and that starts with providing residents with clean water.”
Established in 1923 by a special act of the Florida Legislature, OUC—The
Reliable One is the second largest municipal utility in Florida. OUC provides
electric and water services to more than 196,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud
and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. |
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