APS crews help restore power, hope
As we can attest from the storms that hit our region over the 2012 monsoon season, nature can exact heavy toll, even when you have made every preparation to safeguard against it.
Luckily for us — though inconvenienced by one of the toughest monsoons seasons on record — by partnering and working together, we were able to restore power and get back to normal fairly quickly.
For the victims of the recent Superstorm Sandy, however, the devastation may not be fully understood for years, and may be felt for generations of families who have lost everything.
That's why, at APS, we're so proud of our many employees who joined crews from Salt River Project to help repair the damage done to the electric grid in New York City.
You may have read the story published on Dec. 8 in this newspaper about two APS employees from right here in Yuma, who left their families to spend two weeks in New York to help restore power (and hope) to some Long Island neighborhoods.
APS employees Cesar Gutierrez and Richard Ruiz represent the best our company and our state have to offer. They are the two individuals selected to help in New York, although numerous local APS workers were willing to go.
The two men, along with their fellow APS employees and crews from SRP, were honored recently in Phoenix. At the ceremony, APS chairman and CEO Don Brandt congratulated them on a job well done.
“You have been a real source of pride — not only for your respective companies — but also for the people of Arizona who watched the devastation of Superstorm Sandy from 2,400 miles away.
“You did what you have been trained to do, you fixed poles, restored lines, and helped get the lights — and the heat — back on for thousands of people left in the dark,” said Brandt.
“But, in the process, you did more. You represented the caring and humility of our state and you helped bring back hope to people struggling after a once-in-a-generation storm. And, you made some big fans of Long Island residents who likely had never heard of Arizona Public Service or Salt River Project.”
The tradition of cooperation is part of our culture at APS. Be it here in Yuma, metro Phoenix, Flagstaff or even New York City, our conviction is to exercise our responsibility as a good corporate citizen and support others when possible.
The efforts of our APS crews in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy helped illustrate that point.
Andrea Bereznak is the business and community relations manager for Arizona Public Service. She can be reached at andrea.bereznak@aps.com.
