People in every profession have to overcome challenges after the ice storm.

For people in all walks of life, the ice storm of 2007 has changed everything about the working day.

While they work to help others overcome the challenges of cold, hunger, danger and anger, they have to face many of those same issues.

Here’s a look at how some are coping:

Firefighter: Soot-stained and muddy, Tulsa firefighter Wayne Sanders sat feet from the fire he had just helped snuff out Thursday morning.

It’s difficult to put the week in perspective, he said.

“Let’s see,” Sanders said. “Do you want real words or newspaper words? The shift before us made 70 runs. I don’t have any idea how many runs we went to. It’s been bad. “Nobody’s using their brain about carbon monoxide. Generators . . . they are putting them in their garages, stuff like that.”

The Tulsa Fire Department responded with other agencies to a trailer house fire in the 3400 block of West 35th Place North in Osage County.

The blaze destroyed a residence that belonged to Deon Graham, his father, Daniel Graham said.

The official cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, Capt. Larry Bowles said.

Graham’s son had been staying at a Tulsa motel because of the power outage at his home. Deon Graham and his wife, Alicia, had no insurance on the residence, which Deon had recently remodeled, his father said.

“They lost everything,” he said. “These people with total electric houses are worse

A 25-year firefighting veteran, Sanders said many of the department’s work this week has concerned downed utility lines.

“Now, if they are getting power back on in a lot of places, there are going to be a lot of fires,” he said. “There will be a lot of fires just like this.”

While working at a feverish pace, Sanders has had fires of his own to put out. His home near Sand Springs has no electricity.

“I want to be home taking care of my family, you bet,” the married grandfather of six said. “Unfortunately, we’re the fire department. We run the other direction than what everybody else is running. If you’re going out, we’re going in.”

Tree trimmer: Mike Liekhus, co-owner of BA Lawns and Landscaping, has been working long days clearing fallen tree limbs in residential neighborhoods since the ice storm struck, all the while having no warm home to return to himself.

Talking on his cellular phone over the revving of chainsaws, Liekhus said he had his first hot, home-cooked meal and his first shower in a warm house on Wednesday evening.

“Luckily, my parents’ power got turned on last night, so I was able to have a warm meal and a more normal evening. It was nice for a change,” Liekhus said. “I’m hoping my power comes back on today.”

Liekhus said his business has been so swamped with calls from people needing tree service, he solicited help from a Florida company that is expected to arrive on Friday.

Custodian/maintenance man: Leonard Pierson doesn’t say much but he’s been doing plenty of late, thanks to Tulsa’s weather disaster.

After freezing rain zapped much of the city’s electricity, hundreds of people began taking up residence at an American Red Cross shelter at First Baptist Church, where Pierson has worked 24 years.

Tidying up has seldom been this challenging.

“Hectic,” he said. “You can never get anything clean. “You just keep making a circle the whole time. You go from one end to the other and back again.”

Pierson was on vacation when he was called in to work Wednesday. Normally reporting by 6:30 a.m., he is checking in about 90 minutes later so not to disturb those sleeping at the church.

Besides emptying the trash, Pierson must clean the bathrooms and showers.

Thursday morning, as vocal guests scurried around the help desk, Pierson was downstairs, sprucing up the men’s showers.

“This is it,” he said. “This is the only quiet area there is.” Convenience store manager: Chunks of ice clink into plastic cups at the soda fountain, and coins jingle as clerks make change.

These are the sounds of doing business. And business has been good at QuikTrip, 3008 East 11th St.

“Everybody’s been great,” said Mark McAuliff, manager of the store. “People haven’t been frustrated. They are just happy that you’re open.”

A customer plops a six-pack of Bud Light in front of McAuliff. He reaches beneath the counter for a pack of cigarettes.

Two men purchase sodas.

“Just drinks today, guys?” McAuliff asks.

More patrons. More transactions. “Thanks, guys,” the manager says. “Have a good day and come back.”

Electricity at this QuikTrip went out Monday, but with the help of a generator, the facility was powered up by the following day.

“C” and “D” batteries and flashlights were whisked from the shelves early in the week. Chips, soups, cold sandwiches and gas containers have been top sellers as well.

And lines have remained lengthy for gasoline to fuel vehicles and generators.

“You realize how much business there is out there when everything is out around you,” McAuliff says.

Shifts grew and extra workers were called in to handle the volume, McAuliff says.

During the rush, housekeeping duties such as sweeping the parking lot were pushed aside.

The slow return of Tulsa’s electricity has increased the manager’s availability.

“Tuesday, I was standing at the register the whole time,” says McAuliff, who has electricity at his Glenpool home. “I wasn’t moving at all. Now, I’m able to do some of the other things.”

School teacher: Glenpool schools reopened on Thursday because their power had been restored, but many of the returning students and teachers weren’t as fortunate at their own homes.

High school teacher Pamela House said she was glad to get back to work, but didn’t relish the task of making herself or her appearance work-ready under camping-like conditions at home.

“I’ve been drying my hair in front of my fireplace, and I have a lantern to take a shower by,” said House, who teaches family and consumer sciences. “We’ve been trying to make the best of things, but I’ve had enough.”

Student attendance on Thursday wasn’t what it would be on a normal day at Glenpool High, but House said it wasn’t bad, all things considered. “A lot of the kids were ready to get back because they didn’t have anything else to do,” she said.

Electrical service: Sam Ssali’s job as office manager at Amos Electrical & Mechanical, Inc., has been hairier than usual.

Ssali, who doesn’t have power at home, had to work in an office every day without power until Thursday, when a generator was finally brought in.

Ssali and his co-workers have also had the unpleasant task of telling countless homeowners that Amos electricians wouldn’t start making residential service calls until Thursday because they were working on contract for the city of Tulsa.

“For the most part, we’ve been taking their name, number and address and telling them we’ll call them when we’re ready to come out,” Ssali said. “Right now, we’ve got three to four days booked, and some people are really impatient.”

Rhett Morgan 581-8395
rhett.morgan@tulsaworld.com

Andrea Eger 581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com