The Lights Are On; Maine Begins Sending More Help South

Governor declares end to the state of emergency

Augusta, Maine - As power was restored on Thursday to the last areas left dark by Hurricane Sandy, Governor Paul R. LePage thanked all the power crews who worked long hours to turn back on Maine’s lights.

“This restoration was accomplished in impressive fashion,” the Governor said. “It’s a tribute to not only the hard work, but the training and pre-planning that made the process run so smoothly.” The Governor extended his thanks to Central Maine Power, Bangor Hydro-Electric and the Canadian crews that came to Maine to assist in the restoration.

With power restored, the Governor declared an end to the state of emergency.



LePage also praised Maine utilities for offering assistance to other states even as crews were finishing here. “Our neighbors came to our assistance.” LePage said. “Now it’s time to focus on those who need our help.”

The Governor has directed the Maine Emergency Management Agency to monitor Emergency Management Assistance Company (EMAC) requests from New York, New Jersey or other affected states and to be proactive in responding to requests that Maine can fulfill. A number of potential deployments are currently being worked on, including a multi-disciplinary Emergency Operations Center team and a law enforcement strike team.

Maine’s utilities have also stepped up to offer assistance. Almost 100 staff and more than 35 trucks have been sent to affected areas. Tree service companies have also sent caravans of trucks and workers south.

Yesterday, the Maine Forest Service Incident Management Team travelled to New York City. Upon arrival yesterday evening, they immediately began managing a key logistics center.

Under EMAC, a mutual aid agreement among all 50 states, the emergency forces of any state offering assistance to another state are afforded the same rights, duties and privileges as the emergency personnel of the requesting state (except for the power of arrest). EMAC also provides for clear, predictable and standardized operating procedures for member states. The requesting state is also responsible for reimbursing the assisting state for any expenses. The Maine Emergency Management Agency coordinates EMAC deployments for the State. More information about EMAC is available at www.emacweb.org/.