Hundreds of US and Canadian linemen on standby to assist JPS in event of hurricane

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has signed agreements with two North American-based contracting firms to provide hundreds of linemen to assist in electricity restoration efforts, in the event Jamaica is impacted by a hurricane this year.

JPS, in a media release, said the move serves to bolster its hurricane response capabilities.

The company said the agreement will add to its local employee and contractor resources and the mutual assistance normally received from its Caribbean partners through CARILEC, with an experienced external contingent trained in large-scale restoration.

The initiative was formally launched Monday during an on-boarding session with Holland Power Services, one of the contracting firms, at the JPS' head office in St Andrew.

As part of the visit, top executives from Holland Power Services were engaged in a comprehensive reconnaissance operation, receiving briefings on Jamaica’s electricity grid and conducting visits to some of JPS’ key operational facilities.

JPS President and CEO, Hugh Grant, hailed the development as game-changing in the country’s hurricane preparedness strategy.

“This arrangement will mean more boots on the ground from day one,” the CEO emphasised.

“The goal is to pre-emptively have the resources in place ahead of a hurricane, to allow for safe, quick restoration of power to our customers. The Jamaican public does not have an appetite for long-duration outages — and neither do we. We are taking deliberate steps to fix that,” he added.

Vice President of Utility Relations at Holland Power Services, Alan Bradshaw, reiterated the firm's commitment to swift and seamless support.

“We are a contingent of well-experienced, technically strong, dedicated professionals who make restoration happen. We’re here to support JPS and the people of Jamaica as necessary,” he said.

This collaboration reflects JPS' ongoing efforts to enhance its hurricane response, as it continues to improve resilience and the capacity for safe and faster power restoration.

JPS said it is undertaking several other initiatives to prepare for a hurricane, including pole replacements, equipment upgrades, and vegetation management.

The company has also established partnerships with key stakeholders in order to improve communication and collaboration throughout the hurricane season.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.