The Unintended Impacts of Public Safety Power Shutoff Events
As outlined in a blog last month by Bent Ear Solutions’ Executive Advisor and former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, some of the most devastating wildfires in recent years were caused by downed power lines. To mitigate the loss of life, injury, and overwhelming destruction of property and infrastructure associated with catastrophic wildfires, electric companies across the country are incorporating the use of Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events whereby they proactively de-energize powerlines to prevent damaged infrastructure from creating ignitions.
While the benefits of reduced wildfires have received a lot of attention, the dangerous impacts PSPS events can have on individuals with access and functional needs (AFN)(e.g., older adults and people with disabilities) who rely on power to maintain their health safety, and independence are not always known, highlighted, or addressed.
For individuals who depend on electricity, PSPS events can simply shift the risk of being harmed, injured, or killed by wildfires to being harmed, injured, or killed due to prolonged power outages. PSPS events can create devastating risks to anyone who requires the use of durable medical equipment such as a CPAP, BIPAP, ventilator, or oxygen concentrator to breathe. They threaten the health of people who use power lifts to transfer in and out of bed, HV/AC systems to regulate body temperature, and a refrigerator to keep their medicine cool. Moreover, individuals who rely on assistive devices such as screen readers to navigate the internet, speech devices to communicate, and smartphones or iPads as a lifeline run the risk of losing their ability to obtain emergency-related information, communicate with care providers and family, and to contact the outside world during emergencies.
Unlike traditional power outages, which are caused by external circumstances or internal operational malfunctions, PSPS events are caused by the deliberate decision of a utility to turn off electricity. As such, utilities and those they partner with to make the PSPS decision have a responsibility to take proactive action to ensure the power-related needs of customers with access and functional considerations are addressed before, during, and after PSPS events. Few power companies currently have community partnerships, access, and functional needs-related subject matter expertise or internal infrastructure to address this issue in meaningful ways.
Additionally, utilities lack the data needed to identify and support customers at the highest risk for negative outcomes associated with power outages. Securing such data can be difficult as often the public does not sign up for voluntary alerts or systems that can provide assistance during outages. While important data is most often kept by a variety of government, healthcare, and not-for-profit organizations – the partnerships needed to share across the spectrum of providers often do not exist, which results in a fragmented understanding of the true risk to individuals in each service territory.
In California, power companies, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the California Public Utilities Commission, and leaders from the access and functional needs community have come together to address this issue in a meaningful, proactive way. Their efforts, which are outlined in a forthcoming best practice guide, are leading the way for the increased safety of the whole community before, during, and after PSPS events. The guide, which will be released later this summer, will be made available to utilities nationwide. All available data indicates that, left unassisted, large portions of our communities are at risk for negative impacts during a PSPS event. However, by adopting inclusive approaches like California’s model to address these risks, meaningful measures can be implemented that mitigate wildfires while safeguarding the health and safety of individuals with access and functional needs who rely on power.
By working in partnership with State and local emergency management agencies/departments, community representatives, and regulators, utilities across the nation can help ensure that individuals at greatest risk of harm from PSPS events receive the tools and support they need to remain safe, secure, and independent.
The time to begin partnering, coordinating, and planning is now.
