Proudly carrying the Barbados flag in Freeport, Grand Bahama, were Light & Power linemen (from left) Shawn Alleyne, Christopher Alleyne, Jerome Jordan and Ronald Stanford, with Supervisor Edward Cummings (centre).
THE Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) has thanked the 35 linesmen from its seven member utilities, including five persons from The Barbados Light & Power Company, who were a part of the restoration process in The Bahamas following the passage of Hurricane Matthew.
According to CARILEC Project Manager Andrew Thorington, the crews worked assiduously to restore power in New Providence before returning home. In some cases, such as with Light & Power’s team of linemen, Shawn Alleyne, Christopher Hoyte, Jerome Jordan and Ronald Stanford, with supervisor Edward Cummings, crews went on to Grand Bahama to assist Emera affiliate company, Grand Bahama Power Company, with the efforts there.
Indeed, the spirit of volunteerism was so evident in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, that Deputy Director of CDEMA, Elizabeth Riley, said that the spirit of humanitarianism is very strong still in the region, during her recent assessment of the work of the regional co-ordinating centre this year.
Light & Power’s team leader, Edward Cummings, noted that the team was struck by how grateful Bahamians were for their presence and work. One older lady, who had lived through hurricanes before, blessed them after they restored her power. She was surprised at how quickly they worked in what was a depressed area even before the passage of Matthew.
Now that the Barbados team is back home, they are even more appreciative of the skills of their colleagues at Light & Power, and they are happy to have played a role in assisting our neighbours in the region.