Indiana’s electric cooperatives are sending crews and equipment to assist in the Hurricane Irma recovery efforts. The storm has created widespread property damage with more than 6 million without power in the southeastern part of the country.

An estimated 60 linemen from Indiana’s electric cooperatives will leave Indiana Electric Cooperatives Tuesday, Sept. 12, to assist electric cooperatives near Macon, Georgia. The crews will work in two week shifts until power is restored to the region.

“Every cooperative in the Indiana electric cooperative family is an integral part of a state and national network of hundreds of fellow cooperatives,” said Gayvin Strantz, vice president of job training and safety for Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “It is incumbent upon us to work together and help one another in times of disaster to make sure our power delivery systems are repaired as quickly, safely and cost-effectively as possible.”

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives has been built to federal standards, line crews from any American electric cooperative can arrive on the scene ready to provide support, secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.

“Indiana’s electric cooperatives take care of needs at home first, but our crews are eager to help those in need,” said Strantz. “They take tremendous pride in representing their home cooperative and the state of Indiana. They represent us well with how hard, professionally and safely they work.”

The Indiana electric cooperative mutual aid program is coordinated by Indiana Electric Cooperative’s job training and safety department and provides cooperative assistance in service restoration from storms or other events that result in significant power outages