A contingent of Con Edison workers will spend Thanksgiving Day in Puerto Rico, helping to restore power on the hurricane-ravaged island.
About 100 members of the latest crew arrived almost two weeks ago and have been working with local utility workers to fix downed power lines and broken poles.
“I’m originally from Jamaica, so we have experienced a lot of hurricanes and tropical weather,” said Orville Cocking, of the Bronx, who is the company’s incident commander overseeing the work in Puerto Rico. “I understand the disruption that not having power causes. I just felt it was a great opportunity to bring that kind of normalcy to the people of Puerto Rico.”
Another crew of 100 workers is expected to arrive in the coming days — the most recent wave of employees from Con Ed and Orange and Rockland Utilities to help Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria hit in September. They are being paid for their efforts, but volunteered for the challenging assignment.
“The poles in New York are in the ground and in Old San Juan the poles are on rooftops of private businesses and homes,” said Alfonso Quiroz, a Con Ed spokesman who is with the workers in San Juan. “In some cases, you have to get access and climb 10 flights of stairs with equipment.”
Local residents, who have gone months without power, have been showing their support for the workers.
“Folks are stopping when they see us and thanking us,” said Cocking. “People are so appreciative. It really energizes us.”
