This year, there has been a massive increase in severe weather that has put a strain on utilities across the country.
These teams take on the responsibil- ity of providing resources, field op- erations, and directions for various departments in the event of an emer- gency. These individuals are profes- sionally trained to know exactly how to handle each individual situation while maintaining a calm, productive environment. Storm and emergency response and restoration teams can be found throughout the country and can be de- ployed to various locations in a short timeline to assist with utilities during response and restoration efforts. However, emergency response and restoration teams don’t just have to be involved during an emergency. Agents can work with your utility company to establish a response team, develop a preparation plan, or write a contract to provide their services when they are needed. ACRT’s Ready Force ® is one example of a team that specializes in utility man- agement and support during any kind
of disaster. Whether you need help establishing a response plan or adapt- ing to changes, Ready Force can be deployed anywhere in the country within 24 hours. Working with an emergency response and restoration team can take the pressure off of coming up with a preparation plan and can also assist in getting utilities back up and running when disaster strikes. Jerry Staton is an ACRT senior opera- tions manager and has been with the company since 2010. Staton oversees storm response as ACRT’s storm team manager and is a former member of the ACRT Services board of directors. He is also a member of the Utility Arborist As- sociation safety committee. Staton holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry wildlife management from Stephen F. Austin University. He also is an International Society of Arborists certified arborist and utility specialist.
plan in place can help prevent any stalls and keep your program running as smoothly as possible. You can’t see the future, but prepa- ration is key. You don’t know what is going to happen next week, month, or year, but it is essential that you take the proper precautions so you can re- spond quickly and efficiently to keep your customers, employees, and sys- tems safe and whole. EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS Do you have an emergency response system in place? Are there any gaps? Being prepared for an emergency con- sists of planning and rehearsing your disaster plan, including practicing the implementation of the emergency re- sponse system itself. Make sure you have contracts in place so there are local and national crews that can come in and help restore pow- er and other utilities. Consider also working with a storm and emergency response and restoration team.
38 | ArborTIMES Fall 2023
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