If we have learned anything from our snow event 2 winters ago and this year's fire season, it's that we can all be a little better prepared. We haven't had much of a breather as fire season just ended and the freezing temperatures of winter have already arrived. The challenge for us is the same, and we know you may be tired of hearing it. Dead and dying trees from outside the area we are allowed to cut, will continue to fall and take our poles and lines down with them. Make no mistake, our system is very well maintained, but no match for a falling 150-foot fir tree.
What can you do? Plenty. Our biggest concern is those who have medical conditions. For anyone having a medical condition that requires constant power, it is essential that a backup battery system or generator be available. And now is the time to address that. Outages typically only last hours and we are all accustomed to being a little inconvenienced, but those hours are critical when a member is on life support. If you know of a family member or friend who could use a little help in this area, please help them secure necessary backup power.
We will continue to address any power outage that winter weather brings in the most efficient manner. We will also give you as much notice as possible when a scheduled power outage is to take place. The purpose of a planned outage is to upgrade and/or replace equipment that could potentially cause an unplanned outage. Often times it's our power supplier who is scheduling the outage, but we will always let you know where and when it will happen.
Here's to hoping for a mild winter so everyone in Douglas County can catch their breath. If not, let's at least do what we can to be prepared for whatever winter has in store. Download our Power Outage Preparations (PDF) for more outage tips. And always feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.