A Proactive Approach to Fire Prevention
Being prepared or an emergency is an ongoing effort. For us, it is a key component of delivering safe and reliable energy. That is why we are part of the Community Fire Safety Program, a collaborative effort with representatives from 40 different groups, including water districts, schools, the County of San Diego, fire agencies, telecommunications companies, disability rights groups and residents.
The process is facilitated by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, a federal agency. Our objective is to help prevent fires and respond faster when they happen.
Through the program, we have taken steps to protect power lines from the risk of fire and be better prepared for fire-related emergencies:
- Strengthening overhead power lines. We have replaced many wood poles with sturdy steel poles.
- Expanding inspections. We do ground and aerial inspections of power lines and poles.
- Disabling automatic switches. We disable automatic switches that would normally restore power after an outage during dry and windy weather.
- Trimming trees and brush.
- Staging work crews. Our Emergency Operations Center can be activated on short notice for quicker response.
