BPU crew helps hurricane victims

A crew from the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public Utilities returned home Wednesday night after helping hurricane victims in Florida.

Bill Johnson, BPU general manager, said at Wednesday night’s BPU meeting that the BPU received a request to send a crew to Florida to help assist hurricane victims.

According to Jeremy Ash, BPU interim chief operating officer, five linemen and three trucks left Thursday morning, arriving Friday in Florida, and worked through Tuesday morning.

They worked in the city of Bartow, south of the Orlando area, according to Ash.

The BPU participates in mutual assistance agreements and received a request for assistance through Kansas Municipal Utilities, he said.

Utility crews from throughout the nation responded to the need for assistance in Florida, he said, including Capital Electric, which sent a substantial number of workers.