WASHINGTON, D.C. - The 2017 Hurricane Response Team - comprised of hundreds of DOE employees and contractors, many from EM - was honored with the Secretary of Energy’s Achievement Award last week.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be selected for the Secretary of Energy’s Achievement Award," said Ethan Brackenbury, who works as a cost estimator at EM’s Office of River Protection (ORP). “The work done with the Federal Emergency Management Agency was humbling and rewarding, and it made me truly appreciate the many blessings in my own life."
The award honors DOE employees and contractors who provided outstanding support to federal emergency response efforts in 2017, including the hurricane season. Team members were recognized for their dedication and exemplary service in helping the nation recover from energy disruption emergencies.
The EM team members came from EM headquarters; ORP and Richland Operations Office at the Hanford Site in Washington state; Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina; and Carlsbad Field Office in New Mexico.
Crystal Williams, an EM program analyst, helped address damage from Hurricane Irma in Miami.
“When I heard about the devastation caused by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, I felt compelled to participate in any way that might provide some relief," Williams said. “A variety of organizations, backgrounds, and experiences came together and put differences aside to focus on the mission. Some wonderful accomplishments came from that unity and there was a lot of hope in that for me."
EM Technology Development Office Program and Project Manager Jean Pabón helped with recovery in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. He said he would return to the island “in a heartbeat" to continue the work.
“The need in the island continues," Pabón said. “There were many people without electrical service, communications were not stable, water wasn’t available, and many still do not have a homes and are living in shelters. There is a lot of debris that needs to be removed."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
