Ready for storm season

Now that summer is in full swing, like many of you, I welcome more opportunities to be outdoors and enjoy the warmer weather. Summertime brings many of my favorite activities. As I have noted here in the past, I love to garden and work outside and in recent years have gotten more comfortable slowing down a little bit and watching the grandchildren, John Michael and Wills, play in the water.

But summer months also make conditions right for dangerous storms. Fortunately, we have been mostly spared from the recent tornadoes this spring and were even more fortunate to avoid any major hurricanes last year. These potential weather events can cause destruction to our electrical system, but I want you to know that ClarkeWashington EMC crews are ready and standing by to safely respond should power outages occur in our area.

Part of our preparation to safely restore service following outages is our commitment to safety and participation in the Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP). We have participated in the program for more than 30 years and recognize it as the gold standard for electric cooperatives. RESAP is a national safety program administered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and the Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA). The program utilizes a framework for continuous improvement to improve safety performance and culture. Voluntary participation in the program not only helps make sure you remain compliant with basic rules and regulations, it goes above and beyond what is required.

Although RESAP is a continuous safety achievement program, it also involves an intensive three-year review by a team of safety professionals. The process includes a review of training and records as well as an onsite observation which includes facilities, equipment and crew visits. The team conducted its review of ClarkeWashington EMC in April and again gave the co-op an outstanding review for its participation in the program. The team also makes recommendations for improvement which will be implemented over the next three years.

We can’t control the weather, but we can prepare for it. Clarke-Washington EMC keeps a supply of extra utility poles, transformers and other equipment on hand so we can quickly get to work in the event of an outage. When widespread outages occur, multiple crews will be out in the field simultaneously working to repair damage at multiple locations. We also coordinate with nearby co-ops and contractors to bring in additional crews when necessary.

A proactive approach to maintenance helps minimize the chance of prolonged outages; this is why you see crews periodically trimming trees and clearing vegetation near rights-of-way. Trimming improves power reliability for our entire community. In addition to managing vegetation, we regularly inspect utility poles, power lines and other critical equipment to maintain a more reliable system.

If you experience a power outage, don’t assume a neighbor reported it. It’s best to report the outage yourself, and we make it easy to do. The quickest way to report an outage is by calling our outage reporting number at 1-800-323-9081. It is critical that we have the phone number on your account that you use to report your outage.

Mother Nature can be unpredictable, but as a member of Clarke-Washington EMC, you can feel confident knowing we’re standing by, ready to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

Steve Sheffield General Manager