September 19, 2003
Albany- At dawn Georgia power crews are already on the job. These workers service power lines all over South Georgia, but today they can only guess what they'll encounter.
"Probably disaster, we've been on several of them and it's never a pretty site," says lineman, Joe Fulghum.
Georgia power sent several crews to Durham, North Carolina to help with Isabel relief efforts.
"You start from scratch when you get there. A lot of times these are the worst conditions weather- wise. A lot of times behind the storm is bad too; just because the hurricane is over a lot of times you still have some bad weather," says Team Leader, Jim Russell.
"You know when you get there you've got to get down to business, so on breaks you joke around and at lunch or whenever. You've got to do something to relieve the pressure," says Fulghum.
But they aren't the only ones who feel the pressure. It's up to mechanic Dudley Stanley to make sure the trucks are road-worthy.
"The main thing is to make sure the tires are all right. We change the fuel filters and especially on a hurricane we replace the windshield wiper blades, and just check the truck over in general and make sure everything is safe," says Stanley.
Though he's not on the forefront of the relief efforts, Stanley admits he feels just as important.
"It makes me feel good that I'm able to help people in different states even though I don't go there but I used to. I've been on a lot of storms especially ice storms, but I let the younger guys go now," he says.
And with Stanley's help they'll not only make it to the job, but they'll get there safely.
About 110 Georgia Power workers from Georgia are in Durham.
Posted at 3:20 PM by elaine.armstrong@walb.com
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