JPS To Conduct All-Island Simulation

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Company will conduct an all-island simulation to test the country’s readiness as part of the entity’s ongoing disaster preparedness strategy.

“It should be happening sometime this month,” said JPS Operations Manager, Kenny Wilkinson.

He was addressing the monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation on Thursday (July 9) to outline the light and power company’s preparations for the 2020 hurricane season, which began on June 1 and runs until November 30.

Mr. Wilkinson said JPS will undertake a de-bushing exercise in western parishes, with work to start at Reading in St. James and continue all the way to Negril.

“You should be seeing a great push to do some vegetation work within the parish starting next week for the next month and half,” he informed.

“Also, we have a pole rehabilitation project going on now. That is where we set up the pole and [apply] reinforcement so [it] can get up to another 15 years of usage. We have contracts in place, and persons are presently working across the parish,” he said.

In terms of Hanover’s readiness, Mr. Wilkinson said that the company has enhanced electrical power resilience in the parish for the hurricane season.

He said that Hanover “scored in the 90s in terms of readiness, should we have a disaster”.

Mr. Wilkinson noted that the JPS has installed more than 46 light-emitting diode (LED) lamps in Hanover over the past months and the work continues.