October 26, 2019 PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff

Due to high fire risk and weather conditions that include gusty winds, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has announced a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for Northern California starting Saturday, October 26 at about 6:00 p.m.  PG&E anticipates deactivating power from northern counties and moving south. This means Santa Clara County will be one of the later-affected counties with deactivation anticipated later in the evening.  PG&E will notify affected households via phone, text, and email, at 24 hours before the shutoff and just prior to shutting off power.  Residents could be without power for up to five days, or power could come back on much sooner, depending on conditions.  The best way to see if the power shutoff will affect you is by checking your address on the PG&E potential PSPS address-lookup map:  http://bit.ly/PGEaddress-lookup.

In case of a PSPS, Town services are expected to function as normal, except the Library may be closed.

Get the latest information on a PSPS event on PG&E’s website here: https://www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

PG&E’s Safety Action Center is a good resource for making sure your families, neighborhoods and pets are prepared in case of emergency: https://www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com/

How you can prepare for a potential multi-day power outage and stay safe:

• PG&E will aim to notify customers 48 hours in advance of a shutoff via phone call, text, or email. Update your contact information for notifications here: www.pge.com/wildfirealerts or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours.
• Backup electric power can be a part of any preparedness plan. Find out what you need to know about using backup power at http://bit.ly/backuppowerPGE.
• Prepare and practice an emergency plan that accounts for all family members and pets.  The following websites have useful information for both wildfire and power outage preparedness:  www.sccfd.org/rsg    https://www.ready.gov/power-outages.
• Prepare an emergency kit that will last at least 5 days--see checklist at http://bit.ly/em-supplies-PSPS.
• Include enough water and nonperishable food to last your household one week. Be sure to refresh your kit once a year.
• Signup for AlertSCC and Nixle to ensure you receive local emergency communications:  https://www.losgatosca.gov/2519/Notifications.
• PG&E has indicated that they will make every effort to notify registered Medical Baseline customers that depend on electricity for a medical condition in the event of a PSPS.  PG&E encourages Medical Baseline customers to register for notifications. www.pge.com/wildfirealerts
• Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
  Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
• Keep mobile phones and other devices charged.
• Have flashlights available for your household. Avoid using candles.
• Have a battery-powered or crank radio.
• Stock up on the right batteries for items you rely on. Include two extra sets in various sizes.
• Keep cash on hand and a full tank of gas. ATMs and gas stations may not be available during an outage.
• Learn how to manually open your garage or any other door that operates with electricity.
• Talk with your building manager if you live or work in a building that has elevators or electronic key card access to understand how they will deal with a possible multi-day outage.
• PG&E customers can also call the customer service line at 1-800-743-5000 and check PG&E's social media accounts for more information on how to prepare before and during a power outage:
  • Facebook @ pacificgasandelectric
  • Twitter @PGE4Me
• For more information on what to do during and after a Public Safety Power Shutoff, visit:  http://bit.ly/PSPSprepare.

• Unplug or turn off appliances, equipment and electronics to avoid damage caused by surges when the power is restored.
• Leave a single lamp on to alert you when the power returns. Then, turn your appliances on, one at a time.
• Typically, your refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours and a full freezer will keep its temperature for about 48 hours--if the freezer and refrigerator doors are kept closed. Consider using coolers with ice to keep food cold and safe.
• Be sure to use generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills outdoors only. Do not use a gas stove for heat.
• For emergencies that threaten life and safety, call 911.
• Check on your neighbors.

• Traffic signals and streetlights in the affected areas will not work, so please drive with caution:
  Once the power is out, limit your driving as much as possible.
• Approach all intersections with caution. Remember a non-functioning or flashing traffic signal should be treated as a stop sign.
• Stop at dark signals.
• Obey all road closures and detours.
• Avoid driving at night if possible.
• If you must drive at night, use your headlights, stay alert, and be on the lookout for people walking and biking. There will be no streetlights to illuminate them.
• If you must walk or bike after dark, use a headlight or flashlight. Wear bright or reflective clothing. Wear a helmet if biking.

• Spanish - https://www.pge.com/es_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/public-safety-event.page
• Mandarin - https://www.pge.com/zh_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/public-safety-event.page
• Vietnamese - https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/vi_US/public-safety-event.page
• Tagalog - https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/tl_US/public-safety-event.page