Emergency Power Survey Prepares State for Disasters
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 | 05:58am
Dyer, Lake, Obion, Weakley and Gibson Counties selected for first phase
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and local emergency managers are working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct preliminary surveys of emergency power needs in Tennessee to facilitate generator installation at critical facilities during catastrophic emergencies.
Dyer, Lake, Obion, Weakley and Gibson counties’ critical facilities are the first counties to receive electrical power assessments. In order of highest to lowest priorities, the survey will determine power needs and electrical connection requirements at hospitals, emergency medical services buildings (ambulances), Emergency Operation Centers, Fire Departments, municipal water plants and wells, and waste water treatment facilities.
“The lesson we learned from the ice storm in 2008 was not to wait until you need emergency power to determine the size of the generator and equipment needed to install it,” said Charlie Bryant, TEMA’s Assistant Director of Response. “Having this information pre-determined can significantly speed up efforts to provide emergency power during a wide-spread disaster.”
Using TEMA’s West Regional Office in Jackson as a staging area, 2-soldier pre-installation inspection teams from the 249th Engineer Battalion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will visit facilities and electrical utilities in each county. The teams will be escorted by officials with the county emergency management agency.
The five-county survey project will be concluded by March 12.
This survey is a joint effort by TEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. TEMA is funding half of the survey’s cost with a $30,000 federal grant. TEMA has coordinated in this initial effort with the Department’s of Environment and Conservation, Health and Transportation, as well as with local governments and the utility districts. The 249th’s mission in Tennessee, which TEMA is hosting, will allow its teams to obtain national FEMA certification. This certification is required in anticipation of the battalion’s possible deployment during the 2010 hurricane season. The 249th Engineer Battalion is assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide commercial-level power to military units and federal relief organizations.
The results of the power surveys will be put into each county’s emergency management plan and a federal database of power needs. Having this information in hand will allow county and state emergency managers to more efficiently direct resources to restore electrical power to these critical facilities during a major disaster, such as an earthquake or ice storm. TEMA expects to continue the assessments in additional counties as funding becomes available.
For more information, visit TEMA on the Web at www.tnema.org
For information on the 249th Engineer Battalion, visit http://www.usace.army.mil/249EN/Pages/Mission.aspx