Modern Heroes at PSNH

Working for a power company requires a unique set of skills. Working on power lines is inherently dangerous and during emergencies or outages workers routinely go beyond the call of duty to get power going. Whether it's a meter reader or a lineman, PSNH employees are there and always ready to lend a hand.

PSNH Employees to the Rescue
PSNH employees were ready to help in October 1998. System Machinists Don Yergeau and Andy Janosz and Maintenance Manager Don Jensen were on the job when they saw a helicopter fly into a weather monitoring tower near the Merrimack Station and then careen to the ground. After calling 911, they rushed to the scene and extinguished a rapidly spreading fire. "We never really expected to find anyone alive," said Yergeau. "We were thinking that the whole thing could blow up. Then we saw a hand come up out of the cockpit, so we grabbed him and pulled him away." The pilot was the only person in the downed chopper. Quick action from these PSNH employees saved his life.

Paying Attention Pays Off
When PSNH meter reader Laurie Allen opened the basement door at 6 West Broadway in Derry to do some routine meter work she noticed a thin haze hanging in the air. "The smoke was so light, I wasn't even sure anything was wrong," Laurie said. "At first I was almost embarrassed to go to the fire department, but I knew that there was no way I could live with myself if I didn't report it and something happened," Laurie explained.

Allen walked to a nearby fire station and reported the condition. The fire department responded to find the building filled with carbon monoxide from a truck that was running in a nearby garage. Allen received a thank you letter from the fire department informing her that her actions prevented the carbon monoxide from traveling to occupied parts of the building.

PSNH volunteers worked hundreds of hours to restore power to thousands of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Georges devastated the region.

PSNH lends a hand
When the 130 mph winds of Hurricane Georges smashed into Puerto Rico in September of 1998, it knocked down 65-foot power poles like dominoes for miles in every direction, cutting power to virtually all 1.3-million electricity users on the island.

PSNH assisted by sending volunteer crews in four separate waves to help restore power. In addition to flooded roads, sinkholes, oppressive heat and ever-present mud, the crews had to contend with the occasional uncooperative animal: One cow insisted on standing over a downed line until PSNH employee Ray St. Laurent was able to prod the animal away.

"My crew was an outstanding group of guys," said Kevin Cote, supervisor - contract project services. "It was challenging work that required 14-hour days under difficult conditions. We certainly have some war stories to tell our grand kids."

Heavy equipment was often necessary to pull the line trucks through the swampy right-of-way where crews spent much of their time. When trucks couldn't make it into an area, crews pulled lines by hand and climbed poles without the use of bucket trucks.

A major challenge was simply finding downed lines. Locals had stolen much of the copper wire and remaining lines were often buried in rapidly growing vegetation.

After many weeks of work, power to Puerto Rico was restored. "I found it amazing that there were no significant accidents, especially considering the conditions we were operating in," said health and safety administrator, Ernie Guimond. "It really speaks well of our employees' adherence to safety practices and standards."