I’ve lived long enough to know people who were alive during World War I, which was really ended by a flu pandemic. My great grandmother was a teenager during that time, old enough to be cognizant of the global atrocities and tragedies happening. She raised my grandfather through the Great Depression, and into World War II. She told me stories of rationing and of how they survived without utilities and supplies that, up until recently, I did not appreciate as much as I should. As unprecedented as these times may seem, we can learn lessons from the generations that came before us. Their experiences have built a foundation on which we can utilize our more advanced medical, technological, communication and sanitation capabilities to fortify ourselves against this pandemic, and against other unknowns that we as a species may face.

My career transitioned into utilities about eight years ago, not long at all compared to some folks I’ve worked with, who have spent their entire careers in the pipeline and electric industry. The wealth of knowledge derived from their cumulative experience through all sorts of outages and emergencies is invaluable. They are so good at their crafts, most people do not consider the logistics necessary to make the lights turn on when they flip a switch, or how the water heats up when they turn the red knob, or how clean water is instantly available and dirty water is removed from our homes without a single thought. I often lightheartedly compare utilities to bass players – no one knows they are there until they stop playing. But utilities are there, and it is not just our job at SSP, it is our obligation to work with them through these uncertain times to keep the water running, the gas flowing and the lights shining.

We are all aware of how frightening these times can be, but if we focus on our strengths and work together, we will persevere. It gives me pride in humanity when folks do little things like applauding our first responders at a specific time of day to show solidarity; they are truly heroes. People who were at odds are now working together to face down this common threat to all humans. We survive because we adapt, and we will adapt to this worldwide dilemma and use the knowledge gained from this situation to mitigate future predicaments. Everyone is learning as we go, and we at SSP are prepared for quarantine situations with our remote capabilities. We will continue to work hard through whatever challenges we may collectively face as we navigate this rough part of the proverbial river of life. We are all in this together and we will prevail.