The City of Harrisonville has received a national commendation from the American Public Power Association for its support in multiple electric power restoration efforts after a pair of hurricanes battered the state of Louisiana earlier in the year.
On August 25, and then again on October 8, the City’s Electric Department sent several linemen to assist the City of Alexandria, LA, and other communities throughout southwestern Louisiana, which suffered widespread outages as a result of Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
While responding to these calls for aid, City crews were able to restore power to thousands of homes and businesses throughout the area, as they cleared limbs from power lines, installed new poles and reconnected lines that had been cut.
“We are proud of the sacrifice our staff was able to make, as they brave dangerous conditions to meet a vital need for those in the storm’s path. Throughout our history, Harrisonville has always been a community ready and willing to lend a hand when a community is facing hardship. The opportunity to partner with the City of Alexandria was no different,” Electric Department Superintendent Andy Pollard said.
On December 11, the City received the commendation for its response to the City of Alexandria, LA, and for its continued assistance of Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Cooperation (SLEMCO).
American Public Power Association President and CEO Joy Ditto wrote the following letter presenting the commendation to the City,
“I am pleased to present an American Public Power Association Mutual Aid Commendation to Harrisonville Municipal Utilities. The Mutual Aid Commendation was established in 2018 to recognize public power utilities that have answered the call for assistance and aided another community in restoring power to its customers.
Mutual aid is at the heart of what public power does, and the public power community thanks you for stepping up to help a neighbor in need—whether they are next door or thousands of miles away.
On behalf of the more than 2,000 public power utilities we represent, please accept my thanks.
Sincerely,
Joy Ditto
President & CEO”
The Harrisonville Electric Department participates in the American Public Power Association’s Mutual Aid Network, which coordinates with utilities and authorities during widespread power outages.
For more information on the APPA’s commitment to mutual aid, visit PublicPower.org/MutualAid