Tonight, residents near the junction of Partridge and Vernon Streets in the Lake Independence area are waiting for BRL to come and replace a teetering lamppost. BEL says its not threatening public safety but one prominent area resident told us he is under stress and greatly inconvenienced.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
This is how we found a lamppost strapped with two transformers on it this morning. The pole which is rotted at the base was precariously leaning toward Vernon Street, held in sway by the 6.6 kilo volt lines at the top of it. The man most affected by the situation is businessman Carlos Diaz.
Carlos Diaz, Businessman
"Since yesterday evening the pole started to lean and by this morning the bottom of the post was completely broken. We've made two calls to the Electricity Board (BEL) so far. Right now it is 11:25 and they haven't responded."
BEL's Corporate Communications Manager Dawn Sampson says that BEL has in fact responded and has made an assessment of the situation. And while it looks rather dangerous, she says the situation is not posing any direct hazard to the public. She says tomorrow after a scheduled power outage in the area, the pole will be replaced. However that=s little consolation to Diaz.
Carlos Diaz,
"It is very dangerous, it is very very dangerous."
Alfonso Noble,
Because it is electricity that we are dealing with...
Carlos Diaz,
"And it is not 110 or 220. That is 6,600 volts you are dealing with up there. It is not the regular 110 and 220, that is why they have two transformers on the post. I am very very concerned. In fact I am almost afraid of it."
But more than a perception of danger, Diaz says the situation has inconvenienced him. The weight of the pole pulling on his telephone lines caused them to break, interrupting his service. As a precaution, he had to turn off all power to his house. It's gotten so bad that today he had to use his car battery to power the nebuliser for his 7 year old granddaughter Kilishay Anthony - who's having an asthma treatment. He=s even had to go hurricane style, bringing out the fire hearth to warm his coffee.
Carlos Diaz,
"My telephones can't work. If you look, all the telephone wires are pulled out of the building plus I have my equipment in my office and in my house. The last time a wire was hanging over head I called the Electricity Board about three times, they did not respond, a truck came by and broke down the wire and short circuited my office and damaged all my computers and there was nowhere I could claim it from the Electricity Board and I don't want this to happen so I don't have any power in my house right now. I don't have any power in my office. I turned everything off.
This is my place of business. I don't have an over the counter sales business. People call me to do business with me. When they can't reach and it is the weekend, I don't have any jobs to do on the weekend. Today is Friday and none of my phones are working."
This evening, we have confirmed that BEL has propped up the post. It will be replaced tomorrow morning and an outage has been scheduled for that time. Corporate Communications Manager Dawn Sampson today stressed that public safety is of utmost concern for BEL and the company is convinced that the leaning pole poses no immediate danger to anyone.
