Overseas line workers arrive ahead of Melissa  

JPS bolstering fleet to respond 

(Kingston – October 25, 2025) As preparations continue ahead of Tropical Storm Melissa, JPS has welcomed over sixty line workers from the United States, Canada and St. Vincent. The contingent arrived between Wednesday and Friday as part of the power company’s strategy to have maximum boots on the ground before storm conditions worsen. 

Roger Kennedy, Director of Business Continuity at JPS, noted that contracts had been in place with several regional and international partners, to make additional workers available to bolster the energy company’s operational efforts in the event of a natural disaster. 

“Our hurricane preparation is a year-round endeavour,” Kennedy said. “This time, we are amping up the amount of physical and human resources across the island ahead of the system’s impact. This ensures we can have a more efficient response, if and when it becomes necessary.” 

Upon arriving, the line workers attended a safety orientation session at the JPS state-of-the-art Center of Excellence to familiarize themselves with the intricacies of the JPS grid. 

Tania McDonald-Tomlinson, Director – Special Projects, People Operations at JPS, was at the Norman Manley International Airport to welcome the cohort. “It is a pleasure to have such incredible support from this group of experts. Having assisted in several disaster response and recovery efforts globally, they will seamlessly integrate with our work crews to help us carry out the work required.”