AS HEAT indexes pushed temperatures over 100 degrees recently, Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi also noticed the increase in complaints the County was receiving from residents about power outages.

"People were calling my office concerned about black outs and brown outs," Sadeghi said. "Jersey Central Power & Light Company assured us all would be well."

However, Sadeghi said the utility company which provides electric power to a large portion of the County is not living up to its assurances.

"I have a much smaller business than JCP&L," Sadeghi said. "But in the summer months when it gets busier we plan ahead to have the proper resources in place.

"We need JCP&L to do the same," he said.

In addition to Ocean County's year-round population of about 650,000 people more than doubling in the summer months due to an influx of tourists, the County also has the largest number of seniors with a population of more than 200,000 living here.

"Our seniors need electricity that does not fail them," Sadeghi said. "Many are on oxygen and others are on life supporting equipment like dialysis. I don't know how they do it with power outages."

Sadeghi suggested meeting with the new president of JCP&L to discuss the ongoing concerns.

"Summer comes around every year," he said. "Our power companies, especially, should be prepared."

Ocean County Commissioner Virginia E. Haines recommended meeting with JCP&L's parent company First Energy to discuss long lasting remedies to the power problems.

"These discussions are not new," Sadeghi said. "We will not rest until the service gets better from JCP&L."