Rocky Mountain Power urges planning and preparation for emergencies
by Rocky Mountain Power
September 12, 2016
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month and Rocky Mountain Power encourages its customers to review their emergency plans and emergency kits before winter weather sets in this year. National experts in emergency preparedness remind citizens that the time to prepare for any emergency, including a power outage, is before it occurs.
"Our customers expect reliable electric service and our employees make every effort to deliver it," said Mike Felice, Rocky Mountain Power health and safety director. "However, there are some conditions that we can’t control – like severe weather, vehicle accidents and other circumstances that could cause a power outage. Experts advise us all to have a plan and a kit assembled to make life easier for our families in the event of a power outage."
The autumn season is a great time to gather supplies for an emergency kit and discuss plans for dealing with a potential emergency in our families and businesses. Reliable information regarding many types of emergencies can be obtained from government resources like www.ready.gov and recognized experts such as the American Red Cross.
Rocky Mountain Power has additional recommendations for customers when an emergency causes a power outage:
Have an outage kit and routinely inspect its contents. Items to have in your outage kit include:
flashlight and extra batteries
battery-operated alarm clock and radio
ready-to-eat foods and manual can opener
bottled water
blankets
first-aid kit
If you see a downed power line:
Don’t touch it. Call 911 immediately then call Rocky Mountain Power toll free at 1-877-508-5088.
Keep everyone out of the area, including pets.
Do not touch a person if a power line is touching them. Immediately call 911.
If a power line falls across your vehicle, stay in the car and wait for emergency personnel to cut the power. If your vehicle is on fire and you must get out, JUMP with both feet together as far from the car as possible. Then hop or shuffle far away from the car, keeping both feet close together. If a part of your body touches the car and the ground at the same time, you could be electrocuted.
In your house during a power outage:
Never use kerosene or propane heaters inside without proper ventilation.
Preserve body heat by wearing multiple layers of clothing.
Place blankets and towels around windows and doors to help keep heat inside.
Protect pipes during freezing weather by wrapping them with insulation.
A full freezer should keep food frozen and safe for about two days when kept closed.
If someone in the home is on life support, be sure to have a back-up system and a plan of action for an outage.
Never plug a generator into an outlet and don’t connect a generator directly to your home’s main fuse box or circuit panel. If you must provide temporary power to your home’s wiring system, obtain the necessary local permits and have a licensed electrician provide installation.
For more information about outages, preparation and power restoration, check the company’s website https://www.rockymountainpower.net/ed/po/or.html. To report a power outage, call toll free 1-877-508-5088.
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