Visiting Linemen Found Refuge at Senior Living Community

When word reached Kathleen Johanssen that out-of-state workers restoring power were sleeping in their trucks, the regional vice president for Atria Senior Living's Long Island region scrambled company resources to come to their aid.

"We're in the hospitality business," said Johanssen, who has a background in disaster preparedness and has testified before the Suffolk County Legislature on Atria's storm preparations. "Especially if folks are coming in from out of state, we want to show them that New Yorkers - Long Islanders - know how to treat our guests."

With area hotel vacancies scarce due to the influx of visitors, Johanssen threw together a contingency plan for those who got stuck.

Atria Glen Cove was one of the sites that provided workers a place to sleep, get meals, do laundry, recharge phones, use the internet and have some hot coffee and snacks after a grueling shift.

Johanssen said a group working locally came "quietly" into the facility late Thursday night and shoved off early the next morning.

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The accommodations continued to be available as a backup thereafter.

In total, the company was able to provide for about 100 workers throughout Long Island, she said.

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