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Outside Crews Help Tallahassee Restore Power

Ocala Utility Crews Help Tallahassee
Posted at 6:00 PM, Jan 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-23 14:53:55-05

TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- As the Capital City cleans up from the storm, officials have called on additional help to speed up the process.

Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum says out-of-town utility crews responded faster to this storm compared to Hurricane Hermine.

The request for outside assistance is part of a "mutual aid" agreement among utility companies in the region.

A crew from Ocala arrived in Tallahassee around 10 a.m. Monday, helping restore service in several neighborhoods, including work on Egret Lane. They deal with broken poles, downed power lines and debris.

Paul Bailey, a line crew foreman with the City of Tallahassee, said the extra helping hands are critical in getting power back faster.

"We can get these guys in here to help provide additional resources to keep the job going," he said. "We're not going to stop until all the power is restored, so we're working around the clock. We put as many crews as we can on during the daytime. We get more work than we can at night. The staff is reduced slightly at night, but we continue the effort until all of the lights are back on."

In addition to the crew from ocala, crews are also came from Jacksonville, Kissimmee and Jacksonville Beach. The City of Tallahassee said its entire utility department is involved.