Area residents had plenty to complain about after the blizzard of March 1998. They could not get through to a person on NIPSCO's help line or get an estimate of when power would be back on. If they managed to get out of their driveways, they couldn't get out of the side streets in their neighborhood.

Ten years since, the tools used in responding to snow emergencies have changed. Weather prediction technology is more accurate, snow removal equipment is more powerful, and emergency communication equipment is more advanced.

Lake County Emergency Management has added new walkie-talkies so powerful they can communicate with state agencies in Indianapolis. The system can communicate with any local or county agency inside Lake County, allowing for better coordination.

The Lake County Highway Department has added trucks with two-way plow blades that can adjust the angle of the blade, which can turn to push snow off to the left or the right. This lets a single truck clear a street faster.

The engines behind those plows have also gotten more powerful and are able to push more snow without the aid of larger, slower equipment.

"We would be able to provide quicker and better service (today than in 1998) ... because the size and quality of the equipment has improved," Marcus Malczewski, Lake County highway director, said.

Power issues remain

But one area still in dispute is the ability of the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. to put workers on the ground to get power back on after a storm.

Union representatives criticized NIPSCO 10 years ago for not having enough personnel to handle a major storm response. The company defended itself, saying better technology, such as the new bucket trucks that allow one person to do the work of two, enable the company to stretch its manpower further.

The same argument continues today.

Union records show the number of union employees (not just electric linemen) has declined from 1,945 workers in March 1998 to 1,468 workers in February 2008; union representatives say the decline hasn't been accompanied by the same kinds of technological advancements that happened prior to 1998.

"It's across the system; there's not enough staffing," said Jim Blythe, president of the United Steelworkers Local 12775.

NIPSCO management says they are actively recruiting new employees, hiring approximately 100 in the past four years, but that staffing levels have fallen across the board -- in union and management positions -- due to automation and greater efficiency from improved technology.

"We are required to operate in the most efficient manner possible," Colleen Reilly, NIPSCO communications director, said.

Union employees also said the company is over-reliant on outside contractors for its storm response. What Blythe worries about is a storm that hits the entire Midwest and keeps those contractors working in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois when they're needed there.

Reilly said no utility company staffs all the linemen it needs in an emergency; they all rely on contractors and cooperation agreements with neighboring utility companies.

 

Contact Erik Potter at 648-3120 or epotter@post-trib.com