Power Connections By: Adrienne and Tessa

Our Goals We want to find out… If there is a way for people to be warned about oncoming power outages even if they haven't watched the news If people can deal with power outages much easier If we can get power back to people much faster.

Our Plan We contacted BC hydro and asked them to come into our class during our presentation and answer some of the questions we have. We have prepared lots of questions for them. If BC Hydro is not able to come in and talk to us, we have a back up plan. We will email the BC Hydro people and ask them our questions, and also search on their website for answers.

QUESTIONS

HOW DOES BC HYDRO FIND OUT THERE IS A POWER OUTAGE?

People can report the outage to bc hydro. There is a map of already known outages to bc hydro. Call 1 800 POWERON to inform bc hydro of the power outage. You can also report the power outage online on MyHydro. You will need an account to report the online outage.

HOW SHOULD WE PREPARE FOR AN OUTAGE?

Make sure everybody that lives in your house knows what to do in case of a power outage. Just in case, have a generator easily accessible and use it correctly. Prepare an emergency kit that would last you 3 days of not having power and is in an easy to find location. Have a list of emergency numbers with police, emergency, fire and the bc hydro outage phone. Avoid using candles because it is a fire hazard, and instead, have extra flashlights.

WHY DOES BC HYDRO NEED TO PLAN FOR POWER OUTAGES?

Emergency repairs System upgrades Regular maintenance Vegetation maintenance Customer requests Sometimes power needs to be taken out so crews can fix the problem before it gets too bad.

HOW DOES BC HYDRO REACT TO A POWER OUTAGE?

HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT WHERE THE POWER OUTAGES ARE?

There is an online feed that people can check for updates on power outages. The page is refreshed and updated every 15 minutes. This page is called RSS outage feeds RSS= Really Simple Syndications There are feeds separated by municipality and will most likely have the area you live in.

WHAT ARE SOME SAFETY PRECAUTIONS?

Be aware of fallen power lines. Always assume that power lines are connected and energized. Do not attempt to remove debris from the power lines and stay a safe distance away from them. Report any downed power lines. If using a generator, be aware on how to use it correctly and never use it inside.

Conclusion We found that people can be warned about oncoming power outages by watching the RSS feed online or on their mobile device. People can deal with outages better by having a safety or emergency kit available to their family. People can deal with power outages easier if they know one will most likely be coming by checking the RSS feed. A way to get power back to your home faster would be to inform BC Hydro of the outage as soon as you can so they can get to work and try and help your area.