August
2005
Power
Outage 911
Is
it really an emergency?
When
the power goes out in Gwinnett County, the incoming call tote
board in their 911 center lights up. But much of what it displays
isn't a real emergency.
It
seems that some citizens call just because their power is out.
“We
get calls from people informing us they can't cook or wanting
to know why the lights are out,” says Angie Conley, Gwinnett County's
Emergency Communications Manager. “Those keep us from answering
true emergency calls.”
Conley
adds her 911 operators have their hands (and ears) full just dealing
with the cause of the power outage if it's something
like downed trees, a car-power pole accident or lightning storm.
“We
only need to be called if something is endangering life or property,”
says Conley.
And
the problem isn't just limited to Gwinnett. Public service agencies
throughout Walton EMC's ten-county service area report similar
happenings.
So
who do you call for a routine power outage? Walton EMC, of course.
But do call 911 if you see power lines down or
any other true emergency.
Our
call center representatives and automated reporting system (used
during high call volumes) will handle your outage call quickly
and efficiently. For fastest service call us-–911
centers can't relay your outage information.
You
can also report outages online at waltonemc.com's Storm
Center.
More
Information: Problem
Oriented Policing
Read
other articles in this month's Realite:
