Syracuse, NY - September, 23, 2014 - The northeast United States has experienced unprecedented severe weather over the last several years and National Grid wants to remind customers to plan ahead, be prepared and stay safe in the event of an emergency.
During National Emergency Preparedness Month in September, National Grid is continuing its efforts to improve emergency preparedness plans and encourages customers to do the same. Taking action now, before an emergency strikes, will help customers efficiently and safely manage crises that can upset their daily routines.
“Safety is our top priority for customers year round. This month, in particular, we’re reminding our customers of the importance to plan for emergencies in advance so they know what’s needed to take care of themselves and their families, and to help others in their communities,” said Ken Daly, National Grid’s New York President. “Recently storms have caused significant damage and devastated communities throughout the region. Customer preparedness was critical to our response and restoration efforts, and helped our crews make considerable strides in getting the lights back on quickly and safely.”
At National Grid, being prepared for emergencies is a priority. The company routinely reviews and enhances emergency response plans and conducts drills and employee training to reinforce employees’ ability to contribute during storms and participate in service-restoration efforts. Additionally, the company has launched an extensive campaign using multiple communications channels to advise customers on what they can do to be better prepared for storms and possible power interruptions.
“We know our customers depend on us, which is why we are consistently working hard to improve preparedness in every community we serve while also enhancing our communications with communities and individual customers,” Daly said.
National Grid also continuously maintains and strengthens the reliability of its electricity and gas systems. Additionally, the company has an award-winning vegetation management program that promotes tree maintenance to help minimize tree-related power outages or damage to the network – before storms hit – a leading cause of service interruptions.
National Grid offers the following tips to help customers prepare for emergencies:
Build an emergency supply kit. Water, nonperishable food, first aid materials, prescriptions, flashlight and a battery-powered radio are a few of the items that are critical to include in an emergency supply toolkit. A fully stocked toolkit and well-thought-out emergency plan could mean the difference between life and death. Emergency supply kits should include basic tools and survival items. For a complete list of recommended Emergency Supply Toolkit items, visit ready.gov .
Plan for locations. Emergencies and disasters occur without warning which is why it’s important to have a plan and necessary supplies for the different locations you and your family frequent. These locations include home, work, school, vehicles, places of worship, shopping areas and entertainment/sports locations like theaters and arenas. How will you get to a safe place? How will you contact one another? How will you get back together? These are all important questions to consider when creating your plan. Visit ready.gov to download the Family Emergency Plan and send it to your family and friends.
Plan for risks. Think about where you live and identify the hazards that have happened or could happen in your area. Residents living in areas where there is usually significant snowfall may need to plan more for snowstorms, but residents who live along the coast may be more affected by hurricanes. Depending upon the nature of the emergency and your circumstances, one of the first important decisions is whether to stay where you are or evacuate. You should understand and plan for both possibilities. No matter where you live, make sure you plan accordingly. For more information on risk planning, visit ready.gov.
Know your community’s plan. Find out from local government how it communicates with residents in an emergency. This could be in the form of radio/TV broadcasts, telephone, door-to-door notifications or a community siren. Get informed now so you can stay informed when it counts.
Stay connected to National Grid. Customers who access nationalgrid.com on their mobile devices can stay connected during service interruptions and learn safety information by going to www.ngrid.com/connectny or by downloading the National Grid mobile app. Once on the mobile site or app, customers will be able to view outage maps, report an outage, check the status of an outage and view restoration information by area. The mobile site also features a section with important storm safety tips and frequently asked questions along with contact information for National Grid’s customer service team. Customers also can stay tuned to storm information in the following ways:
Broadcast Text Alerts
Customers can opt-in to receive broadcast text alerts by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743). Once customers text the number, NGRID will ask them to verify the state where they are located. After choosing their state, they will be registered to receive updates for that state.
Email Alerts
Once customers sign up they will be able to enjoy several self-service options, including easy access to outage reporting, e-billing and more. Customers can always opt out of email alerts by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of all National Grid emails.
Social Media
Customers can follow National Grid on Twitter @nationalgridus and search for National Grid on Facebook for news specific to your service area or National Grid in general.
Outage Central
National Grid also provides customers with multiple ways to receive up-to-date information on restoration details, safety tips, important phone numbers, and more through its Outage Central webpage. Here, customers can sign up to receive text and email alerts, stay informed through Facebook and Twitter and report or check on power outages. Customers can also visit the Outage Central webpage to view “Power Outages: Preparation and Restoration,” a video that provides a comprehensive look at the steps National Grid takes to prepare for and prevent outages.
Use new technologies: With the proliferation of smartphones, many people turn to apps and social media to learn about disasters, seek help in an emergency and to share information about themselves and others during an emergency. The American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Association offer downloadable mobile apps for first aid, finding shelter and disaster assistance to help the public. Visit redcross.org and FEMA.gov for more information and to download an app now. To view the American Red Cross “Be Red Cross Ready module,” visit http://arcbrcr.org .
Get involved: National Grid encourages customers to act before disaster strikes and find opportunities to support community readiness through volunteering to support disaster preparation and relief efforts, taking part in the community planning process and showing support by donating funds or goods which may help the needs of your community in times of disaster.
In addition to emergency preparedness efforts and working around the clock to restore power during an emergency, National Grid works closely with the American Red Cross to prepare our communities. As part of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, National Grid operates behind the scenes with the Red Cross and first responders to address the basic needs, such as food, shelter and water of its customers during an emergency. The Annual Disaster Giving Program allows the Red Cross to help communities prepare for, and recover from, natural disasters. With the support from National Grid and other companies, the Red Cross is able to respond to nearly 70,000 disasters each year.
For more information on National Preparedness Month, and how you can get started with a plan and emergency toolkit, visit ready.gov or redcross.org . Customers can reach National Grid directly through its toll-free customer service line at 1-800-642-4272.
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system and it ‘joins everything up’.
In the northeast US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country.
National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.