Pittsburgh utility workers share what goes into getting power back on
ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — The consequences of a heat wave are more than just high temperatures.
As people in the Pittsburgh area have seen, it can also mean storms, high winds and power outages.
During those power outages, KDKA-TV often hears from residents wondering when their power will be turned back on. It can be important to remember that people make real sacrifices to work around the clock to restore power.
Aaron Pepmeyer owns Outdoor Grandeur Landscaping. His company often goes before the power restoration crews to cut down fallen trees, clean branches or whatever needs to be done to prepare for the power crews to get to their jobs.
"Monday evening, it was a whirl," Pepmeyer said. "We got called in and it's been nonstop ever since."
Pepmeyer said he's been home very little. He and his crew have been working extremely long hours assisting homeowners and power crews. Duquesne Light Company workers can not start restoring power unless people like Pepmeyer do their part.
Once the power workers start, it can be practically nonstop, with the exception of sleeping. The wife of one of these workers called KDKA-TV's newsroom after seeing stories of homeowners complaining about not having power and asked if KDKA-TV could do a story about how hard these men and women work.
Shawn Early says he gets it. He lives in front of a new telephone pole where workers camped out and worked for two days. He told KDKA-TV, "They work hard. Every dollar they earned yesterday, they earned."