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- By Caroline McNally
Storm season, depending on where you live, is usually something that occurs annually that brings with it highly unpredictable weather. Due to the seasonal nature of storms, many people also believe that storm response and restoration is a seasonal job with plenty of downtime throughout the year. However, the reality could not be farther from the truth. Storm response and restoration is a year-round job that requires months of preparation and organisation in anticipation of future storm response emergencies.
Maverick’s Director of Storm Services and Safety, Liam McNally, and his team spend all year preparing for possible storm response and restoration events. The Maverick Storm Response Services team works around the clock to ensure that tools, equipment, resources, and training are all up to par at all times. This includes testing rubber gloves and sleeves for linemen, ensuring bucket trucks are fully equipped with tools that are up to code, checking there is proper of personal protection equipment, verifying that training is up to date, and making sure that everyone is prepared to respond at a minute’s notice. Maverick Storm Services requires all crews to be certified in damage assessor training, wire guard training, CPR, first aid, AED, and to have in depth knowledge of electrical safety and consequences to ensure the safety of every employee and the public.
No two storms leave the same damage in their wake, and as a result each storm restoration effort is vastly different and equally unpredictable. In order for teams and crews to operate efficiently and effectively to safely mitigate storm catastrophes and impact relief efforts, preparation and flexibility is crucial. Crews are sent into dangerous situations where oftentimes there is no cell service making communication difficult, so it is critical that all team members are prepared and on the same page. In anticipation of the unpredictability of Storm Response events, Maverick leaves no stone unturned. “It can all boil down to something as simple as a charged iPad for damage assessors to use. We know it’s chaos regardless, but we make sure that it’s organized chaos”, says Director of Storm Services, Liam McNally.
Storm Response is a difficult job with long hours, short breaks, and a minute’s notice for when you will be needed. It requires preparation, diligence, and high levels of organization. Maverick Storm Response Services and our leadership team ensure each step is completed in preparation to ensure smooth actions in the field and ultimately restore power safely and quickly for our clients and their communities. In the words of Director of Storm Services, Liam McNally, and his favorite quote from former FBI agent Chris Voss, “You do not rise to the occasion; you fall to your highest level of preparation”.
