JPS Initiates Emergency Operations in Response to Advancing Tropical Storm Melissa

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has fully activated its command centres in preparation for Tropical Storm Melissa and placed overseas line crews on standby to support disaster response efforts, if required.

Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Transportation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, made the disclosure while speaking during a special briefing on preparedness for Tropical Storm Melissa at Jamaica House on Thursday (October 23).

He noted that 31 regional line workers are already in Jamaica to support pre-storm preparations.

“Vegetation management and grid reinforcement have been intensified, especially in key transmission areas across western and eastern parishes. JPS is coordinating closely with national agencies and utilities to ensure safe access and timely and consistent customer updates,” Mr. Vaz stated.

He explained that, to further strengthen resilience, critical control and telecommunications sites operated by JPS are now equipped with 48-hour backup power and newly installed Starlink systems to ensure communication continuity.

The Minister noted that the power company has expanded its fleet with more than 115 specialised vehicles to strengthen its post-storm response capacity.

Mr. Vaz expressed confidence in JPS’s ability to deliver an efficient response, drawing on lessons learned from Hurricane Beryl last July and the implementation of its new incident command system.

“You can rely on this Administration, my colleague Ministers and myself to be vigilant and to hold those accountable and responsible for an efficient response in all areas,” he affirmed.

In his remarks, JPS President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hugh Grant, emphasised that the company has adopted a renewed approach to storm response.

“We implemented a new incident command structure post-Beryl. It streamlines communication by having clear roles and responsibilities for our personnel. The other key thing that it does is, it has… a liaison arm to communicate with key stakeholders,” he outlined.

The CEO explained that, under the new operational structure, JPS has established a dedicated arm for direct communication with municipal corporations.

This enables the company to gather real-time information from the local authorities and their respective disaster response and emergency agencies, thereby informing and guiding its operational response.

“The other key thing that that liaison arm does is it also establishes a window into what is happening with our telecommunications and also the water space. There, again, we will be having daily calls with these key entities, in terms of what are you seeing, what are your priorities and ensure that it is prioritised and aligned with our response,” Mr. Grant stated.

Meanwhile, the JPS President noted that the company is expecting the arrival of approximately 60 additional line workers to augment and strengthen its internal workforce.

“We have pre-emptively utilised our models, brought boots on the ground from day one… so once it is safe to do so, we will be out there responding. We have also activated our incident command structure whereby we are going to be working 24/7, non-stop, to safely and timely restore power to our customers,” he affirmed.

Mr. Grant pointed out that, given the island’s recent weeks of rainfall and already saturated ground conditions, the likelihood of power outages is significantly elevated.

“We are committed, we are positioned, we are resourced, and we stand ready to respond,” he maintained.