“You’re Not A Priority”
Joan (not her real name) from Freehold Township just called. She lives in the 55 and over Riviera development in Freehold Township.
Joan says that half of the development is still without power. She called JCP&L as was told, “You’re not a priority.” I don’t think that is what BPU President Lee Solomon had in mind when he advised JCP&L to have their people “tell the truth.”
Joan has evacuated to her son’s home in Camden County. Yet she is worried for her neighbors and friends, many of whom are invalids she says. “People are really suffering, their lives and health are at risk. Who can I call?”
I suggested calling the Freehold Township Police. “They’re too busy. We called for a man that needed medical attention and they said to take him to the emergency room. We called an ambulance and it never came.”
“Christie said on 101.5 to contact his office for anything, do you have his number?” I gave it to her.
Joan, who moved her from New York, says she has frequent power outages since she moved to Riviera. “JCP&L said they were aware of the problem, but nothing has improved. Their equipment is too old.”
Joan’s experience too common in the JCP&L service area. Her immediate emergency as well as her long term experience.
Power outages are an expected occurance in the JCP&L service areas. In the 17 years I have lived in a JCP&L service area I chalked it up to living on the ocean or or atop of a hill.
That is obviously not the case. Atlantic City Electric has only 92 active outages effecting only 148 customers.
JCP&L’s management and lack of infrastructure investment is the problem.
Posted: September 1st, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Hurricane Irene | Tags: Atlantic City Electric, Freehold Township, JCP&L, Toll Bros Riviera | 2 Comments »