TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATERUS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 11.31 DATE: July 31, 2011
SUBJECT: ARE YOU READY FOR AN OUTAGE
This bulletin was written a few years ago when the commercial power was off. The power had already been off for over 24 hours and wasn't supposed to be back on for several more hours.
For the most part I was prepared, but there are a some things that you don't think about until they happen. Most of my communications equipment and computers are equipped with emergency backup power which takes over when the commercial power fails. I have a generator which will power most of the house, but has to be started and hooked up manually.
One of the problems that showed up was the misplacement of my generator fuses to allow the power to be connected into the house wiring. The last time I used the generator to power the house, I had a bad fuse in the holder. Before I could get new fuses the power was back on.
I bought the new fuses, but hadn't put them in the holder yet, which I had misplaced. There were a couple of ARES Bulletins that I had written in 2004, which ask if your commercial power were to go off right now, would you be prepared to handle emergency communications? The bulletins were NR 04.31 and NR 04.45.
For the most part I was ready, but there was little things I had to do to make the job a lot easier. Before I got finished writing the bulletin, the power was back on. But, for 24 hours it was a challenge to keep my communications equipment ready for an emergency. Just think, the next time it may be off for a week, or more.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV