This is the expanded version of the story that appeared in our cooperative magazines.

With the worst portions of historic Winter Storm Fern missing the Gibson Electric Membership Corporation service area, lineworkers were quick to answer the call for aid, traveling to Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation and Pickwick Electric Cooperative on Monday, Jan. 26.

“We were fortunate to sustain only minor outages that our crews restored quickly as the storm passed through our service area, so we were glad to send help to those in need,” said Gibson Electric Vice President of Engineering and Operations Barry Smith. “‘Cooperation Among Cooperatives’ is one of the seven co-op principles. We know had the situation been reversed, our neighbors would have answered our call for help.”

First Class Lineworkers Jonathan Minton, Payton Featherson, Jamie Moore and Brendon McGee helped local crews restore service to Southwest Tennessee members. After being released from Southwest, they joined Crewleaders Jeff Milam and Donny Thomas, First Class Lineworkers P.J. Haskins, Brad Stafford and Kirk Lowrance and Apprentice Lineworkers Connor Adams, Brock Swaw, Zach Sellers and Clay Sawyer assisting Pickwick.

Field and Compliance Engineer Team Leader Stacey Nicks and Field and Compliance Engineer Brand Nicolay traveled to Pickwick on January 28 to perform damage assessment, while Field and Compliance Engineer Mitzie Privitt took materials and meals to crews there. On January 29, Safety Coordinator Jon Jones performed crew visits there to encourage safe work practices.

Three Gibson Connect Fiber Technicians headed out Thursday, Jan. 29, with Michael Griffiths and Mitch Eddington assisting Southwest Tennessee EMC with installing services, and Taylor Landrum assisting Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative with splicing.

On Monday, Feb. 2, Service Crewleader J.J. Whitwell, Line Crewleaders Trent Cary and Kendall Byassee, First Class Lineworkers Jonathan Petty, Michael Atkins, Russell Hopper and Garrett Dowdy, Seventh-Period Apprentice Lineworker Hayden French and Apprentice Lineworkers Carson Vandiver, Brian Thomason, Colin Warren and Joel Edwards replaced the previous line crews at Pickwick.

Eddington and Fiber Technicians Wesley Cox and Jordan Finnell traveled to Meriwether Lewis to assist with fiber installation and splicing. On Feb. 19, Cox, Eddington, Finnell and Landrum joined local fiber crews in Prentiss County, Mississippi, to help connect their members following weeks of challenges due to Winter Storm Fern.

“This was a historic storm with a historic response,” said Gibson Electric and Gibson Connect President and CEO Dan Rodamaker. “More than 1,000 additional lineworkers from Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia and Florida assisted areas with the greatest damage, representing the largest mutual aid effort in Tennessee in more than 20 years. We’re proud of our employees who stepped in to help.”

In total, 34 Gibson Electric employees assisted operations teams at four cooperatives, and we also released our three Service Electric contract crews and two Cruse Powerline contract crews to help Pickwick and Dickson Electric, respectively.

The “Cooperation Among Cooperatives” earned praise from members receiving the additional manpower. Here are just a few of the kind comments we received on our Gibson Electric Facebook page:

“Thank you for helping Pickwick to get power back to my son’s home and the many more around him. They greatly appreciate y’all. This momma thanks you too.” — Connie Tutor Andresen

“Thank you for restoring our power in Timber Ridge! Appreciate the hard work and sacrifice being away from home and family.” — Jo Ann Schumann

“So thankful for y’all and all you did to get us powered up again down on Winchester Lane at the State Line. Thank you doesn’t begin to express our gratitude. My 86-year-old momma sure was happy to get lights back on! She said to send you all great big hugs! Thank you!” — Beth Smith

“There are no words to express our gratitude. THANK YOU! May the Lord richly bless the linemen that helped restore our power in Pickwick (and bless the families they left behind to help us). — Tammie Raye

“Your amazing guys restored our power in our neighborhood in Counce. We appreciate their sacrifice and them taking time away from their families to help us! I gave them a big hug and heartfelt thank you this morning! I told them they are our heroes!” — Michael-Kristy Shoup