I wrote last month about how our delivery of critical infrastructure makes our responsibility more important now than ever. Cooperatives routinely plan for emergency situations, and our emergency plan has served us well in a variety of circumstances — from ice storms to tornadoes. In these unprecedented times, we’ve taken some additional unprecedented steps to make sure our team is in place to power your world.
We are fortunate to have technology that allows much of our work to be completed remotely. Many of our employees are working from home. Those who do report to the office are social distancing to protect themselves and their families. As always, we will answer the phone when you call.
Like the office staff, the line crews are separated to limit the possible spread of the virus. Trucks have been relocated so lineworkers can go directly to a job site without coming to the office. For the time being, Tipmont’s line crews will concentrate mostly on outages and maintenance. This time of year, we know spring storms are inevitable. We’re committed to restoring any outages as soon as possible. The other Indiana electric cooperatives are also standing by to help if we need it.
As of this writing, the COVID-19 disruptions continue to accumulate. Both of our youth programs — Touchstone Energy Camp and Youth Tour — were canceled as health concerns are expected to persist into the summer. While we were heartbroken by this news, Tipmont and our statewide office, Indiana Electric Cooperatives, support the decision to keep our students safe.
Our other large summer event is our Annual Meeting, currently scheduled for July 25. We look forward to the meeting each summer because we get to visit with so many of you. However, it may not yet be safe to hold such a large gathering. Our board of directors is evaluating our options and will share updates in the days and weeks ahead.
One area that is proceeding as of this writing is our fiber internet construction. The social distancing measures have exposed the limitations faced by communities still waiting for high-speed internet service. We’re acutely aware of how difficult these circumstances for those who lack adequate internet access. Our board of directors is carefully monitoring our progress and if we need to make adjustments, we’ll share those updates with you.
Although it’s not business as usual, our focus is on keeping your life as normal as possible. As the public health situation continues to evolve, Tipmont will continue adjusting to meet your needs. Please continue to visit tipmont.org and our Facebook and Twitter page for updates.
Our team is proud to power our community when it matters most. We’re here for you.
