General

OPPD team travels to Illinois to help restore power after damaging storm 

A storm that blasted eastern Illinois last week uprooted trees, destroyed buildings and left more than 220,000 utility customers without power. 

Less than 24 hours later, a 16-member OPPD convoy was on its way to help. 

Line technicians, fleet specialists, a troubleshooter, crew leaders, a manager and a safety specialist spent two days on the Illinois-Indiana border, restoring power to residents about 140 miles south of Chicago. The storm dislodged branches, snagged overhead power lines and left tangled messes in the streets. 

As the OPPD team worked, passing locals honked to show their support. Some offered the crews hamburgers and iced tea. 

“Everyone was very appreciative and very patient,” said Steve Neuverth, a longtime OPPD line technician who has traveled to Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Missouri for mutual aid missions. 

Every year, OPPD sends crews on mutual aid assignments to areas where massive storms have overwhelmed local responders. Those partnerships provide mutual benefits, because utilities will often return the favor when bad weather strikes Nebraska. 

Mutual aid trips also expose OPPD’s workers to the practices, procedures and tools used by other utilities. 

‘Above and beyond’

OPPD’s team worked in Danville, Illinois, a town so close to the Indiana border that everyone’s cell phone clocks jumped between the Central and Eastern time zones, depending on where they were. The team prioritized safety, taking extra precautions as always to avoid the dangers inherent to their job. 

Crews spent most of their time restoring service to individual homes, said Seth Marek, an OPPD journeyman line technician. 

“Every customer was pretty cool, and they were definitely grateful for us getting the lights back on,” Marek said. “People thanked us for coming all the way from Nebraska.” 

OPPD Senior Safety Specialist Kent Lee bounced from crew to crew, handing out sports drinks and water and making trips to a nearby warehouse for necessary parts so that crews could focus on restoration work. When he needed help identifying the correct item to grab, line technicians texted him a photo. 

“These guys are great at what they do, and safety is the utmost priority,” Lee said. “They went above and beyond. It truly was a great crew to work with.” 

A group effort

OPPD workers back home played a crucial role as well, said Ethan Zabokrtsy, a field supervisor who joined the team as a liaison between OPPD crews and their bird dog, a specialist from the local utility who oversees their work. 

OPPD clerical workers helped book hotels. Others coordinated the trip and prepared vehicles for the long drive across Missouri and Illinois. Throughout the trip, OPPD fleet specialists kept vehicles and equipment running smoothly. 

The crews left Nebraska around 5 p.m. on June 12 and stayed overnight in Quincy, Illinois, then traveled the rest of the way and set to work. They returned home June 15. 

One line technician who had joined previous mutual aid trips suggested that the group drive south to St. Joseph, Missouri, and then head east on the four-lane U.S. Highway 36. With less traffic than Interstate 80, that route helped the convoy stay together and avoid crowded, larger cities. 

“We wanted to get out there and help as soon as we could,” Zabokrtsky said. “I was just really impressed with how everyone supported one another.” 

‘The best in the business’

The local utility, Ameren Illinois, wanted customers restored as quickly as possible and stayed in regular communication with Zabokrtsky so that company officials could update the public. 

Zabokrtsky said he enjoyed seeing customers’ faces light up when their power was restored. 

The team included Zabokrtsky, Lee, Nueverth and Marek, along with Line Technicians Tyler Bolling, Richie Terrian, Dan Larrick, Brian Tedesco, Andrew Walter, Joe Brinkman, Jace Galvan and Easton Lavicky. The other team members were Working Line Crew Leader Kurt Jorgensen, Troubleshooter Mat Sedersten, Working Fleet Crew Leader Brian Dizona and Fleet Technician Adam Nelson. 

“The communication was really good and the guys had a great attitude,” Zabokrtsky said. “OPPD always seems to show up really well. I get a lot of satisfaction watching our guys work. They’re some of the best in the business, and it’s really cool to see the work they do.”