While responding to restoration efforts in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida, our New York crews were met with a friendly reminder of just how small our world can be.

Brett Slocum serves as the director of safety & emergency management at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. His father, Gary Slocum, retired in 2006 after 35 years with NYSEG, most recently as a chief line worker. When Gary moved from Binghamton to southwest Florida, Brett and his family soon followed, and Brett took on roles in emergency management with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health.

“Given the safety implications of being a lineman and observing my father’s work ethic, I inherited his commitment to safety, caring for myself and others, and being professionally trained and equipped—especially in critical, life-saving and sensitive situations such as natural disasters,” Brett explains about his choice of career.

Now based in Louisiana, Brett and Gary remain in touch with many of Gary’s NYSEG colleagues. They heard from Richie Dunn, Binghamton Division Chief Line Mechanic, that crews from NYSEG, RG&E, CMP and UI were heading to Louisiana to support the restoration efforts in greater New Orleans after Hurricane Ida left nearly 1 million Entergy customers without power.

“Once you’re in the NYSEG family, you’re in the family for life,” Brett says, repeating the words of his father.

He and his family prepared 40 grab bags for the New York team, including traditional Louisiana red beans and rice, cheddar cornbread muffins, pralines, bottled water, sports drinks, and—of course—Mardi Gras beads. Brett was happy to provide this care package for our crews, saying, “a little southern hospitality for your trip to the Big Easy and helping out all the residents of the greater metro New Orleans area.”

This all took place as Brett was getting his first chance to take a breath and reflect on the personal and professional impacts of Hurricane Ida. Brett, his wife and two young children were out of their home for two weeks because the storm downed a tree into the yard, ripping the power lines from their house. The convention center served as a command center for local, state and federal agencies, a medical special needs shelter, and an access point for residents to secure transportation to community shelters. He was waiting for a roof estimator when he heard a knock at the door, and was surprised to find Kyle Phelix, NYSEG Manager of Regional Operations and the Hurricane Ida Mutual Aid Response New York Task Force Leader, on his doorstep.

Kyle wanted to personally present Brett and his family a card signed by the crew and $500 they had collected to cover the family’s expenses for the meals. Brett wasn’t having it. Instead, the two agreed to put the donation toward a local charity.

Given the gesture of the homemade meals and his desire to support local restaurants, Brett recommended the contribution benefit the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting the hospitality industry by providing access to education, workforce development and financial assistance or guidance to people in the industry during times of crisis. Hearing about the team’s generosity, NYSEG and RG&E President and CEO Carl A. Taylor made a personal gift of $500 to match the donation.

“The term we use in emergency management is ‘whole community,’” Brett says. “It takes a whole community to respond to and recover from a disaster or incident of significance. We’re always thinking of one another, and my father’s connection to the energy industry inspired me to support these crews when they came to my community in our time of need.”