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* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
WELL GOOD AFTERNOON MY NAME IS JUD REX
[00:00:03]
I'M CITY MANAGER OF GARLAND AND I'M OUT HERE IN THE RAIN WITH UH DARYL KLEIN OUR CEO OF GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT AND UH DARYL UH THIS IS WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST HERE UH AS WE TRY TO RESTORE POWER HERE IN GARLAND UM TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK UH AND WHAT OUR WHAT OUR EFFORTS ARE LIKE MOVING FORWARD SURE UH I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ISSUE THAT BEFORE US RIGHT NOW IF YOU LOOK AT ON TUESDAY MORNING WE FACED HURRICANE LEVEL WINDS THAT CAME THROUGH AND DID SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO OUR SYSTEM UH NOT JUST IN AN ISOLATED AREA BUT A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSE AREA ACROSS THE CITY AND AS YOU CAN KIND OF SEE BEHIND ME THIS IS WHAT WE ARE FACING THROUGHOUT THE CITY RIGHT NOW FACT AT THE PEAK OF OUR OUTAGE WE WERE OVER 35,000 CUSTOMERS TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE THAT'S ALMOST HALF THE CUSTOMERS OF GARLAND PILE AND LIGHT WERE WITHOUT POWER SIGNIFICANT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR CUSTOMERS WERE OUT NOW FORTUNATELY FOR US THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THAT NUMBER DOWN CURRENTLY WE'RE ROUGHLY AT 4,800 CUSTOMERS THAT ARE WITHOUT POWER BUT THE FIRST DAY I HAVE TO COMMEND OUR FOLKS OUR LINEMEN OUR SYSTEM OPERATORS FOR RESTORING POWER WE WENT FROM OVER 35,000 CUSTOMERS WHICH AGAIN IS ALMOST 50% OF OUR TOTAL CUSTOMER COUNT WE WENT DOWN TO LESS THAN 10% OF OUR CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER IN UNDER 24 HOURS THAT'S REMARKABLE SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT BY OUR GUYS CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THEY DID UNFORTUNATELY FOR US WHAT WE'RE FACING NOW OBVIOUSLY THIS WEATHER BUT IN ADDITION THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT HAVING TO GO IN AND TRYING TO RESTORE POWER ON A MORE INDIVIDUAL TYPE OF BASIS THAT MEANS WE'RE HAVING TO GO ALLEY BY ALLEY HOUSE BY HOUSE AND RESTORE POWER WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS GOING TO TAKE TIME YEAH YEP NOW FOR US WHAT WE HAVE DONE WE'VE HAD ADDITIONAL CREWS THAT HAVE COME IN DURING THIS PROCESS AND TODAY WE HAD CREWS COME IN FROM DIFFERENT CITIES TO HELP US OUT THOSE CITIES INCLUDE BRIAN TEXAS GREENVILLE DENTON FARMERSVILLE AND TOMORROW WE'LL BE HAVING CREWS COME IN FROM SAN TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO US TO TRY TO ADDRESS AGAIN THESE KIND OF ISSUES SO A LOT OF A LOT OF THINGS TO DEAL WITH THE MAGNITUDE AND SCOPE OF THIS WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT UM MOVING FORWARD SO WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS FROM CUSTOMERS UH TRYING TO WONDER OKAY WHEN WHEN'S MY POWER GOING TO BE RESTORED A LOT OF QUESTIONS COMING IN I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED IS UH YOU KNOW MY POWER'S OFF UH BUT I SEE ACROSS THE STREET THEY HAVE POWER OR MAYBE NEXT DOOR THEY'VE GOT POWER UH WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHY IS THAT THE CASE SOMETIMES SURE THERE THERE'S MANY CASES THAT CAN UH RESULT IN THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE ONE IT CAN BE THAT YOU MAY BE ON A DIFFERENT CIRCUIT THAN YOUR NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET SO IT COULD BE THAT THEIR POWER IS RESTORED ON THEIR PARTICULAR ELECTRIC CIRCUIT AND YOURS ISN'T AT THE TIME IN ADDITION WE HAVE TRANSFORMERS THAT SERVE HOUSES TYPICALLY FOUR TO SIX HOUSES ARE SERVED BY TRANSFORMER SO IT COULD BE THAT YOUR HOUSE IS SERVED BY A TRANSFORMER BUT THE OTHER HOUSE IS SERVED BY A DIFFERENT TRANSFORMER AND THAT TRANSFORMER MAY NOT BE DAMAGED BUT YOURS IS IN ADDITION YOU CAN HAVE UM SERVICE LINES THAT SERVE YOUR HOUSE DIRECTLY SO YOUR LINE SERVICE LINE COULD BE UH DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND YOUR NEIGHBORS IS NOT ALSO THERE CAN BE ISSUES SPECIFIC TO THE CUSTOMER'S RESIDENCE THAT CAN CAUSE THIS YOUR METER BASE COULD BE DISCONNECTED UH FROM THE LINE WHICH AGAIN WOULD BE A CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITY IF THAT CUSTOMER UH DOES HAVE THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO REACH OUT TO AN ELECTRICIAN UH TO HAVE THAT FIXED WE DO HAVE ON OUR WEBSITE UH AT GPL TEXAS.ORG WHERE YOU CAN GO IN AND LOOK TO SEE THE PROCESS YOU NEED TO FOLLOW IF YOU HAVE A METER BASE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED SO A LOT OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS THINGS MAY HAPPEN ALL OF IT TIES BACK TO JUST THE MAGNIT OF WHAT WHAT HAPPENED IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF TREES THAT CAME DOWN NUMBER OF LIMBS THAT CAME DOWN UM WE'RE DEALING WITH QUITE A BIT THERE UH I KNOW ONE QUESTION WE GET FREQUENTLY IS UH WHY CAN'T YOU GIVE ME AN ESTIMATED TIME OF RESTORATION AND AND UH YOU KNOW WHY SOMETIMES WE CAN DO THAT SOMETIMES WE CAN'T UH WELL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT SURE AND AGAIN I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS EVENT ON GARLAND POWER AND LIGHTS INFRASTRUCTURE UH THIS IS UNPRECEDENT FOR US UH WE'VE HAD DAMAGE ACROSS OUR[00:05:04]
SYSTEM AND SO FROM THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION BECAUSE NOW WE'RE STARTING TO GET INTO INTO LOCAL TYPE OF UH RESTORATION AS YOU SEE BEHIND ME UH THIS TYPE OF LOCAL RESTORATION CAN TAKE HOURS AND SO SINCE WE'RE HAVING TO GO TO BASICALLY ALMOST TO A HOUSE TO HOUSE UH TYPE OF RESTORING THE POWER IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND GIVE AN ESTIMATED TIME UH RESTORATION AND THEN IF YOU THROW IN UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE WEATHER FOR US UH THAT ALSO CAN IMPACT UH HOW QUICKLY WE CAN RESPOND YEAH SO UH LOOKING AT THE WEATHER OBVIOUSLY TRAINING OUT RIGHT NOW AND AND THE FORECAST CALLS FOR SOME MORE RAIN AND STORMS COMING THROUGH IN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS UH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT RAINS CAN THE CREWS KEEP WORKING DO THEY HAVE TO PRESS PAUSE AND COME BACK UH UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS CAN THEY CONTINUE TO WORK SO IF IT'S UNDER RAIN OUR CREWS CAN KEEP WORKING HOWEVER IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DO YOUR JOB IN THE RAIN IT'S GOING TO SLOW YOU DOWN SOME AND SO IT DEFINITELY DOES IMPACT OUR CREWS WHENEVER THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WORK HOWEVER IF THERE IS LIGHTNING THAT WILL CAUSE US TO EITHER SUSPEND THE OPERATIONS OR NOT START OPERATIONS UNTIL SUFFICIENT TIME IS HAS HAS PASSED BETWEEN LIGHTNING STRIKES BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY AT THE END OF THE DAY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ARE SAFE SO UM SAFETY'S TOP PRIORITY AND UH WHEN IT COMES TO WEATHER AND AND WORKER SAFETY FOR SURE UM ANOTHER QUESTION WE GET IS UH HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE TO RESTORE POWER FIRST AND AND HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE YOU KNOW THE THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THIS HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE WHERE WE GO SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO AND THIS IS WHAT WE DID ON TUESDAY ON TUESDAY WE FOCUSED ON WHAT ARE CALLED FEEDERS UH THESE ARE THE ELECTRIC LINES THAT MANY OF YOU MAY SEE RUNNING ALONG SOME OF THE THE MEDIANS OR THOROUGHFARES SOME THAT WILL BE RUNNING ALONG SAY GE BACK THROUGH SOME ALLEYS THESE ARE THE LINES THAT THAT SUPPORT AND SERVE LARGE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS MAYBE FROM A FEW HUNDRED TO A FEW THOUSAND AND SO WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET YOUR QUOTE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK LOW HANGING FRUIT YOU WANT TO GO FOR THE FEEDERS AND RESTORE THAT POWER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU CAN GET MORE PEOPLE BACK ON SOONER BY HAVING THAT FOCUS IN OUR PARTICULAR SITUATION WE HAD 20 9 OF OUR FEEDERS THAT WERE LOCKED OUT DURING THIS EVENT WHICH IS WHICH IS UNPRECEDENT FOR US UH AND SO OUR FIRST FOCUS ON TUESDAY WAS TO GO IN AND REPAIR THOSE FEEDERS GET THEM BACK RESTORED THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE WENT FROM OVER 35,000 CUSTOMERS OUT TO UNDER 7,000 CUSTOMERS OUT IN LESS THAN A 24-HOUR PERIOD AGAIN I CAN'T I CAN'T EMPHASIZE HOW UNBELIEVABLE THAT LEVEL OF RESTORATION IS UH FOR A UTILITY TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT'S WHERE YOU FOCUS FIRST IS ON ON THE FEEDERS THEN YOU START WHAT'S CALLED LATERALS AND YOUR SERVICE LINES THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS WHEN YOU'RE SEEING YOUR CREWS COME IN AND SO THIS IS WHAT TAKES TAKES A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AND SO WE'RE STARTING ON THE LATERALS WHICH THEY MAY SERVE YOU 40 50 60 CUSTOMERS THAT'S THE NEXT LEVEL AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THE SERVICE LINES WHICH GETS MORE TO THE INDIVIDUAL NATURE SO WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON THOSE AREAS WHERE WE CAN WE CAN RESTORE POWER THE SOONEST TO THE MOST NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS SO START WITH THE BIG ROCKS PUT THE BIG ROCKS IN THE JAR AND AND GET THOSE CUSTOMERS THOSE LARGE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS UP AND RUNNING AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID SO WELL ON TUESDAY NOW WE'RE INTO I GUESS MORE OF THE INTRICATE DETAILED WORK UH THAT WE KIND OF SEE BEHIND US HERE IN THE ALLEYS THAT UH SMALLER NUMBERS AFFECTED UH BUT THE THE LENGTH OF TIME AT TAKES TO MAKE A MAKE A REPAIR AND RESTORE POWER MAYBE TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND IT'S JUST A LITTLE MORE DETAILED TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN AN EXAMPLE OF THIS ALLEY HERE WHERE BASICALLY HAVE A TREE BLOCKING THE ALLEY PROBABLY SOME MORE BEHIND IT THAT WE CAN'T EVEN SEE FROM HERE AND THEN OF COURSE WIRES DOWN UM AND OTHER ISSUES THERE WHAT WHAT TYPE OF WORK MIGHT HAPPEN IN A SCENARIO LIKE THIS SO WITH THIS PARTICULAR EVENT THE THE BIG ISSUE THAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE VEGETATION ISSUE OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU HAVE HURRICANE TYPE OF WINDS THAT ARE COMING IN CAUSING THIS TYPE OF DESTRUCTION AND DAMAGE TO THE SYSTEM UH TREES ARE GOING TO BE THE BIG ISSUE AND BEFORE OUR LINEMEN CAN GO IN AND DO ANY WORK WE HAVE TO HAVE VEGETATION CONTRACTORS COME IN AND CLEAR THOSE ALLEYWAYS OUT AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW IS THAT THESE VEGETATION CONTRACTORS WILL COME IN THEY WILL CLEAR OUT THE ALLEYWAYS REMOVING THE TREES AND THEN OUR FOLKS CAN START COMING IN AND DOING THE REPAIR WORK WELL THE REALITY IS WHEN[00:10:01]
OUR FOLKS COME IN IN MANY CASES BECAUSE THESE ARE LARGE TREES THAT HAVE FELL THEY'VE KNOCKED DOWN POES THOSE POLES MAY ACTUALLY HAVE TRANSFORMERS ON THEM AS WELL SO NOW OUR OUR CREWS HAVE TO GO IN AND REPLACE POLES AND PUT UP THE TRANSFORMERS WHICH TAKE TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS AND SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN MANY OF THESE ALLEYS IS THE TREES HAVE FALLEN THEY'VE BROKEN POLES WIRES ARE DOWN AND THIS IS WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG FOR US TO BE ABLE TO RESTORE POWER WHEN WE START GETTING DOWN TO MORE OF THE INDIVIDUAL TYPE OF OUTAGES SO DO WE SEE UH THAT'S KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF A REAL DETAILED UH REPAIR AND RESTORATION EFFORT ARE THERE SOME THAT MAYBE MOOVED QUICKER THAN THAT AND AND THAT ARE MORE SIMPLE UH REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE MADE CORRECT THERE THERE ARE SOME THAT YOU WILL HAVE FOR EXAMPLE WHEN WE WERE DOING THE FEEDERS UH THE FEEDERS IN SOME CASES BECAUSE OF THE STRONG WINDS WOULD ACTUALLY YOU WOULD HAVE THE LINES WOULD HIT AND SO THEY WOULD CAUSE A FAULT AND THEY WOULD TRIP OUT THE LINE OR TRIP THE BREAKER FOR PROTECTION OF THE SYSTEM IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE OUR CREWS RIDE OUT THE LINE AND IF THEY DON'T SEE ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS SUCH AS DOWN LINE OR UH ANY TYPE OF DEBRIS OR A TREE ON THE LINE THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO QUICKLY RESTORE THAT POWER THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT IN THE SITUATION IS WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF ISSUES ON THE LINE AND YOU CAN REST THAT POWER MOST OF THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF WE ARE NOW IN THAT SITUATION WHERE THE LINES WE'RE FOCUSING ON HAVE SOME FORM OF ISSUE WITH THEM AND TYPICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE VEGETATION SO A LOT OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE UM TALK ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT FEW DAYS LOOK LIKE FOR GNL AND AND OUR CREWS THAT ARE OUT OKAY SO AS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED UH WE'VE HAD OUTSIDE CREWS THAT HAVE COME IN AND HELP US THROUGH THIS PROCESS WE' BROUGHT IN MORE CREWS UH CREWS FROM OTHER MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC UTILITIES THAT ARE COMING IN TO HELP JUST BECAUSE OF THE SHEER MAGNITUDE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GOING THROUGH NOW ALLEY BY ALLEY EVENTUALLY HOUSE BY HOUSE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO RESTORING POWER UH WE'RE TRYING TO BREAK THESE OUT INTO GRID AREAS WHERE WE'RE ASSIGNING THESE DIFFERENT CREWS TO FOCUS ON AGAIN THESE ALLEYS THESE INDIVIDUAL REPAIRS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH IT AS THE WEATHER WILL ALLOW AND CREWS WILL CONTINUE WORKING UNTIL TILL UM EVERYBODY'S RESTORED POWER YEAH SO THAT'S THAT'S REALLY THE COMMITMENT IS WE'RE GOING TO GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS EVERYBODY'S POWER IS GOING TO GET RESTORED IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME UH YOU KNOW BE AS PATIENT AS YOU CAN WITH US BUT I THIS DARYL THIS HAS REALLY BEEN HELPFUL IN TERMS OF JUST GIVING PEOPLE A SENSE FOR WHAT'S REQUIRED TO GET POWER BACK ON FOR EVERYBODY AND OF COURSE WE'RE VERY VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CREWS AND THOSE THAT HAVE COME FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES TO HELP US OUT AS WELL WITH THIS RESTORATION EFFORT THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK UM REALLY TO GET THINGS BACK UP AND RUNNING AND UH CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THEIR FOR THEIR EFFORTS UM SO IF YOU SEE A GPN LINEMAN ON THE STREET WHAT SHOULD OUR CITIZENS SAY TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE TOWARDS THEM WELL I'D ASK THEM TO SAY THANK YOU I'D ALSO PLEASE ASK AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AND AND AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME IF YOU COULD KEEP QUESTIONS TO THE MINIMAL UH BECAUSE OUR CREWS ARE TRYING TO FOCUS ON GETTING THE POWER RESTORED AND SO ANY TYPE OF DISTRACTIONS AWAY FROM THAT FOCUS AS JUST TAKING TIME AWAY FROM US BEING ABLE TO RESTORE POWER SO SO PLEASE YES SAY THANK YOU TO THEM BUT ALSO PLEASE LET THEM FOCUS ON TRYING TO GET THAT POWER RESTORED FOR NOT JUST YOU BUT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S IN THE CITY YEAH I I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ALSO AS WELL PLEASE IF YOU HAVE A DOWN WIRE PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE DOWN WIRE DO NOT GO NEAR IT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH TO TRY TO GET TO EACH INDIVIDUAL PLACE WHERE WE'VE GOT THIS ISSUE BUT PLEASE FOR YOUR SAFETY AND SAFETY OF OTHERS PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE DOWN WIRE IF ON THAT NOTE IF THEY'VE REPORTED A DOWN WIRE UH AND IT'S STILL NOT REPAIRED YET UH I GUESS THAT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME DON'T DON'T KEEP REPORTING IT NECESSARILY BUT UH IT'S IN THE SYSTEM COR GOT IT IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME CORRECT THIS THIS TR THIS TRULY IS AN EFFORT UH OF NOTHING THAT WE'VE SEEN BEFORE AND SO NORMALLY I THINK CUSTOMERS WOULD SEE HEY I'VE GOT A DOWN DOWN WIRE SOMEBODY QUICKLY COMES OUT FIXES IT TAKES CARE OF IT THAT'S NOT THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION THERE ARE DOWN WIRES THAT WE DO HAVE RIGHT NOW AND OUR CREWS ARE WORKING AS DILIGENTLY AS POSSIBLE AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE TO GET TO THOSE AND THEY WILL BE RESTORED BUT PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE DOWN POWER LINE YEAH YEP SAFETIES COMES FIRST SAFY COMES FIRST[00:15:01]
YEAH UH WELL THANKS AGAIN DARL THIS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND AND TO OUR RESIDENTS OUT THERE THAT ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER UH WE'RE SORRY ABOUT YOUR SITUATION WE DE DEFINITELY SYMPATHIZE AND EMPATHIZE WITH IT UM YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE UH PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING OUR VERY HARDEST OUR CREWS ARE DEDICATED AND WORKING THEIR VERY HARDEST TO GET POWER RESTORED TO YOU AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE UH SO JUST KNOW YOU'RE NOT ALONE UH GARLAND COMES TOGETHER DURING DISASTERS LIKE THIS WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN UH AS WE CLOSE OUT THIS UH THIS MOST RECENT WEATHER EVENT THAT HAPPEN SO UH BEAR WITH US KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT KNOW IT'S A CHALLENGE BUT UH WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH IT AND COME OUT BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.