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force for change nj . com
All of our employees have done their part to safely and effectively keep the lights on for our customers
Jim Fakult , President Jersey Central Power & Light
A special thanks to JCP & L urgent response members
Kim Contos Manager ,
Emergency Preparedness , NJ
Jason Wallace Manager , Revenue Operations
To learn more about JCP & L , FirstEnergy , and the company ’ s coronavirus response , visit :
www . firstenergycorp . com / help / safety / coronavirus . html
Jersey Central Power & Light ( JCP & L ), a FirstEnergy Corp . utility company , serves more than 1.1 million customers in 13 counties in Northern and Central New Jersey . Its 1,300 employees have remained committed to maintaining reliable electric service and keeping the lights on for customers during the challenges of the coronavirus health emergency . These efforts include working closely with the communities it serves to offer bill assistance and providing significant contributions along with the FirstEnergy Foundation to support those facing hardships during this time . In addition , JCP & L crews adopted new health and safety guidelines while working around the clock to restore power to customers following Tropical Storm Isaias .
“ All of our employees have done their part to safely and effectively keep the lights on for our customers ,” said Jim Fakult , President , JCP & L . “ I ’ m especially grateful for our front-line workers , who have adapted to the new national safety requirements while responding to customer outages during this pandemic , all with minimal impact to operations .”
To help safeguard employees , contractors and customers , the company implemented new precautions , including :
• Alternating shifts and relocating job briefings to be more conducive to social distancing
• Splitting into smaller work units to support distance between employees
• Working from home when possible
JCP & L also knows that customers are relying on electricity in their homes more than ever during the pandemic , with many working from home and students engaged in remote learning . That ’ s why the company has been committed to helping customers who are facing economic hardships by helping them enroll in manageable payment plans and connecting them with bill assistance programs . In addition , FirstEnergy Foundation donated $ 50,000 in March to local food banks and hunger centers in New Jersey communities to help provide essential food and nutrition to those who need it the most during the COVID-19 pandemic .
In early August , Tropical Storm Isaias hit New Jersey , causing extensive damage to JCP & L ’ s electrical infrastructure . JCP & L – along with a team of more than 8,000 utility crews from 17 states – worked around the clock to safely restore service to 788,000 customers while also adhering to the company ’ s established COVID-19 safety and health guidelines . Following the storm and recovery efforts , JCP & L donated approximately 83,000 pounds of unused food items to food banks and religious organizations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania . The donation was supplemented by an additional FirstEnergy Foundation contribution of $ 50,000 to benefit food banks in the region .
“ The goals we set at the beginning of the pandemic could not have been achieved without our employees ’ commitment to safety under extremely difficult conditions ,” said Fakult . “ I ’ m proud to receive this recognition on their behalf .”
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