For three Oncor crewmembers, a recent mutual assistance effort in Northern California hit close to home. Apprentice Lineman Cameron Meyer, Apprentice Lineman Taylor MacDonald and Journeyman Lineman Jacob Patterson, grew up in Paradise, Calif., one of the areas most devastated by the Camp Fire, the most destructive and deadliest wildfire in California history.
The Camp Fire was fully contained on Sunday, Nov. 25, but the restoration efforts continue. Meyer, MacDonald and Patterson, along with about 80 other employees from Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor), traveled from Dallas to Northern California last week to help restore power to communities affected by the wildfire.
When the opportunity came to head to California as part of a mutual assistance effort, Patterson, Meyer and MacDonald said they knew they had to help restore power to their hometown, where some of their family members still live, and were grateful that Oncor gave them the opportunity.
“They knew how much this means to me and to the other guys that grew up here,” Meyer said. “It means a lot that they were able to free us up so we could come out and help.”
“To let us come across the country to help,” Patterson said. “Words can’t describe what they’ve done for us.”
These efforts are part of a mutual assistance program between utilities to assist with restoring power for customers after major events like wildfires and storms. Electric companies impacted by a major event are able to increase the size of their workforce by borrowing restoration workers from other companies in unaffected areas.
Photo (above): Apprentice Lineman Taylor MacDonald, Journeyman Lineman Jacob Patterson and Apprentice Lineman Cameron Meyer.