The 2007 hurricane season is here and Grand Bahama Power Company has prepared for what the USA’s Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said will be an ‘above normal’ season.

GBPC was nationally recognized in 2004 for its storm restoration management, and is ready for the 2008 hurricane season. We have enhanced our ability to respond to calls and to restore power quickly by effectively deploying crews in the field.

Our Customer Call Centres are prepared to handle customers’ calls in an efficient, responsive way. We have improved our ability to provide information on the status of our restoration efforts.

Awareness and education are key elements in these events, In order to obtain status information in case your power goes off, customers should keep tuned to local media – radio, television, and newspaper for updates on restoration efforts.

All our electric service restoration efforts focus on customer and community health, safety and public welfare.

Hurricane Q&A’s

Q. How Does GBPC know who is without power and when you should call?

GBPC has equipment in our Power Plant will tell us if large power lines have been damaged and if customers served by those lines are without power.

• Initially, customers should call GBPC’s phone line only to report downed power lines or emergency conditions.
• When power is restored to your neighbourhood after a storm — but you are still without power — then please call us.
• Stay tuned to local radio, television and newspapers for specific reports on GBPC’s progress assessing and repairing damage to electrical system in your area.

Safe restoration of power to our customers is our number one priority after a storm. We use a well-tested plan to restore service. Here is how we work:

First we assess the overall system and repair GBPC’s power plant and the major lines that carry power from our plant to settlements, towns, and communities.

• Next we restore service to essential customers who provide for community health, safety and public welfare — such as hospitals, police, fire, communications and water.
• We simultaneously deploy field teams to conduct neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood damage assessments. We do this so the right resources, crews and materials are assigned to each effort.
• After essential customers, we restore all other customers using a priority restoration process. The process focuses on making repairs to electrical facilities that will return power to the largest number of customers first, then the next largest and so on until the power is restored to everyone.
• Work is not assigned according to when you called to report your outage, where you live or how much money you owe the company.
• Once we complete our damage assessment, we will provide an estimate of when repairs will be finished and power restored in your area.

Q. As a customer what can I do after a storm?

• Before you call to report an outage, check all circuit breakers or fuses to help determine if your service outage might be the result of a household problem.
• If you have significant water damage in your home that might make it unsafe, call a licensed electrician for advice.
• Visually inspect the area outside your home near the meter. If the meter or any of the piping and wires on the wall of your home or office is missing or looks damaged, call a licensed electrician for advice.
• If no problems are apparent, once power is restored to your neighbourhood, GBPC will reconnect your service or assist in determining whether you have a household problem.

Q. What are GBPC’s priorities for service restoration?

First, GBPC will work extended hours replacing down/damaged poles until service is restored, though daylight hours are needed for most activities. Safety of personnel and public will remain our highest priority. The priorities are:

• Assessing the overall system and repairing the power plant, major lines and substations that carry power from our plant to the communities we serve.
• Restoring power to key services essential to community safety, health and welfare - such as hospitals, police, fire, communications and water.
• Making repairs to electrical facilities that will return service to the largest number of customers in the shortest period of time, then the next largest number and so on until power is returned to everyone.

Q. Do politicians and other important individuals get special attention?

No. GBPC does not give preferential treatment. It is contrary to the hurricane restoration plan and company policy to single out any individual for priority electric services restoration. Work is not assigned according to when customers report their outage where they live or the status of their account.

Q. Does GBPC know I have lost electric service after a storm? Should I call to report my outage?

Right after a storm, we will know if large power lines have been damaged and you are without power. So rather than calling us right away, please help us keep the phone lines open. If you need to report an emergency like a downed power line or electrical equipment that is sparking and dangerous please call immediately.

Q. How does GBPC determine who has lost service and what repairs are needed?

We make an initial damage assessment of our system by observation, once weather permits. These initial observations help us understand the repairs that we may need to make to key facilities like our power plant, substations and main power lines before we can begin the restoration process for customers. After the initial assessment—and once it is safe for our employees to begin work - we dispatch patrol teams to conduct neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood assessments. These teams report electrical equipment damage and what repairs may be needed.

Q. When should I call?

Once your neighbourhood gets electric service restored, if you are still without power - then please call us. Have your street address and phone number available when you call to report an outage.

Q. What can customers do to help get their power back?

Before calling to report an outage:

• Check all circuit breakers or fuses to help determine if your service outage might be the result of a household problem.
• Call a licensed electrician if you have significant water damage in your home that might make it unsafe. Inspect the area outside your home near the meter. If the meter or any of the piping and wires on the wall of your home or office is gone or look damaged, call an electrician. You may need to make repairs to wiring before GBPC can reconnect your power. If no problems are readily apparent, GBPC will connect your service or assist in determining if you have a household problem.

Q. When will GBPC be working before and after the storm?

GBPC does not attempt to restore service when winds are at or above 35-mph. Working in those conditions would endanger the safety of our employees. As soon as the storm has passed and winds have died down, assessments will be made and crews deployed.

Q. Does GBPC shut down its power plant when a hurricane approaches?

GBPC power plant is designed to weather high winds and water from a hurricane. The plant would be operated based on employee safety, customer energy needs and availability of other facilities to transmit power. As a precautionary measure, in severe conditions our plant will be shut down prior to the anticipated onset of hurricane force winds and sea sprays. The units will remain shut down until the hurricane has passed, then inspected and returned to service.

Q. How can I tell the difference between telephone, television cable and electrical lines? How can I tell if standing water is electrified? How can I tell if a fallen line still has electricity in it?

Consider all cables and wires as being energized regardless of whether they are electrical, cable television or telephone. If a line is in the water, there is even more reason to be cautious and consider it and the water energized. Please keep children away from all flooded areas and areas with lots of debris as the water or storm debris could be hiding an energized line.

Q. Is it safe for me to walk in my neighbourhood right after the storm passes, just to get out of the house, or to determine how bad the neighbourhood got hit by the storm?

Stay away from downed lines, flooding and debris. Do not walk in standing water and do not venture out in the dark because you would not be able to see a power line that could still be energized and dangerous.

Q. How should I hook up my portable electric generator?

Appliances should be plugged directly into a portable generator, using extension cords if necessary. For your safety, run portable generators outside the house so you avoid the build up of toxic gasses in the house. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations and follow them for proper use and load. If you have doubts, consult a licensed electrician. Only a licensed electrician should attempt to hook up a generator to the main electric panel of a business or home. If you improperly connect to a main panel power can back feed from the generator into utility lines and injure a neighbour, property or utility crews working to restore service.

Q. How many appliances can I connect and run from my portable generator?

Consult the manufacturer’s instructions. Each generator has a rated wattage, which provides a limit for how many applications it will safely power. Add together the wattage of different appliances and do not exceed the manufacturer’s total rated wattage for the generator.

Q. How will fallen trees near power lines be handled?

One of our top priorities will be to remove trees and debris that have damaged electrical equipment and are preventing service restoration. Customers should not attempt to remove or trim foliage within 10 feet of a power line. If a tree or tree limbs have fallen on a power line or pulled it down, do not attempt to get close to the line. If the line is sparking call and report it as an emergency. Safety should always be your first priority.

Q. What precautions should I take if I'm returning to a home or business that has been flooded?

If you have doubts about the integrity of your home or office electrical system as a result of flooding, check with the Grand Bahama Port Authority or Government local officials or a licensed electrician.

• Do not stand in water when operating switches, plugging in or unplugging appliances or resetting breakers or replacing fuses.
• Do not attempt to reset breakers or replace fuses until all water has receded. Use caution. Some circuits above the flood level may still be energized.
• Disconnect all electrical appliances before attempting to reset breakers or replace fuses. Be sure to wear dry shoes with rubber soles and stand on something dry and non-conductive, such as a dry piece of wood or wooden furniture.
• Use a dry and non-conductive "tool" such as a wooden stick or piece of PVC pipe in one hand when resetting breakers. Place the other hand behind your back. Do not make contact with the metal breaker box and other grounded objects in the area.
• Call a licensed electrician if breakers will not reset and continue to trip. This condition might indicate a short circuit in your electrical system.
• Check for water damage in all appliances and make sure cords and other parts are dry before re-plugging them into wall sockets.
• Disconnect an appliance immediately if a breaker trips, a fuse blows, or you see smoke or smell a burning odor. Have it checked by a qualified electrician or appliance serviceman.

Q. Why would GBPC crews pass my house without repairing anything?

If you see a GBPC crew passing but not stopping, it may be because work at a nearby location must be performed before electric service can be restored to you and your neighbors.

Q. Why am I the only house on the block without power?

Fuses or circuit breakers in your home could have tripped and halted power, tree limbs could have fallen on the line serving your home, fuses on the transformer that serves your home may have tripped or could be damaged, and the primary line feeding the transformer could be damaged.

Q. Can I pay an electrician to change my GBPC service wires or cables?

No. Electricians are not allowed to work on GBPC lines from the pole or transformer to your house. Your electrician handles work that needs to be done from the meter to inside the house, including your circuit breakers and home wiring.

Q. Why do I only have electricity in one part of my house?

You could have a tripped circuit breaker, a blown fuse or a broken connector or wire at one of the service leads to your house. Sometimes damage to these leads leaves only the 120-volt outlets (or some of them), working. In this case, larger appliances that need 240-volt service, such as water heaters, air conditioning and ovens, may be inoperable until repairs are made. It is safe to use the outlets you have available, while you check with an electrician. If it is a problem with a service lead to your home, GBPC crews will repair the wires when they arrive to restore service.

Q. If my lights come on, can I expect them to stay on?

Once service is restored, we make every effort to keep it on; however, as we repair other parts of our system, some interruptions may occur.

Q. What about my bill if I have to relocate? Will I be charged a late fee?

We recognize that some areas may be damaged so much that normal household routines, including bill paying, could be disrupted for a period of time. If you have incurred significant damage to your home or business that forces you to relocate, please contact GBPC regarding your account and address, and we will work with you to resolve billing and late fee issues.

Q. The electrical service line from the pole to my house appears to be pulled away from the house. What should I do?

GBPC personnel will be inspecting service lines and will determine if an electrician is required to fix the damage or if GBPC can make repairs. Piping that houses wires attached to the side of your home or business is considered part of the house wiring and can only be worked on by a licensed electrician.

Q. Why are my electric motors or machines running backward?

Turn off the machinery immediately and call GBPC. A technician will determine whether electric power phases were connected properly.

Q. Would GBPC pay for food that spoils?

GBPC cannot guarantee continuity of service, so there is not a requirement for us to pay for food that might spoil due to electric service interruptions.

Q. Would GBPC pay for damage to appliances, electronic equipment or other personal property damaged in a power loss or during power restoration?

GBPC cannot guarantee continuity of service, so there is no requirement that we pay for damage. Following a storm, it is possible that service restored in one spot could be temporarily impacted by work elsewhere, including an accident or emergency condition that requires us to temporarily turn power off at the request of police or fire. We encourage customers to consider precautions, such as unplugging, turning off or limiting use of electronically sensitive and/or non-essential appliances.

Q. What are the vulnerabilities of underground and overhead electric service?

Overhead lines are exposed to high winds and flying debris. Underground facilities can be subject to flooding. Repair and replacement time is about the same for equipment with similar functions. Repairs may take longer if an underground fault needs to be located and repaired.

Q. How will GBPC restore streetlights and traffic signals?

Traffic signals will be prioritized at the request of the Grand Bahama Port Authority or police.

Q. Are there some general expectations regarding how long restoration might take following a hurricane? What kind of situations could prolong the effort?

Restoration will depend in part on how many areas and parts of our system significantly damaged.

Q. What plans does GBPC have to bring in outside crews?

Virtually every GBPC employee is mobilized to assist in storm restoration in some way. Additionally, we call on other utilities and contractors, such as tree trimming crews, to assist. If damage from a storm exceeds our capability to restore service in a reasonable time, we will request crews from other off island utilities and companies.

Q. How will you provide service to areas that may be unaffected by widespread outages or hurricane damage?

In areas not affected by the storm, only a minimum number of crews will be left to handle emergency calls. We especially ask the patience of customers in unaffected areas while we work to restore service elsewhere.

Q. At what point is GBPC likely to have specific data about remaining outages by street address and/or neighborhood?

Following a major storm it could take us three to five days or more to fully assess the situation and reach a point where restoration estimates could be made for localized neighborhoods and individuals.

Q. How will GBPC employees help in the hurricane restoration?

GBPC trains qualified office workers to provide support to our regular power line crews. GBPC employees are trained to patrol and make field assessments, as well as to handle numerous field support roles needed to staff storm restoration activities at service centres and crew staging sites. Extra personnel are brought in to staff phones. Our focus in the field and throughout the company is on safe, speedy assessment and restoration.

Q. How does GBPC manage increased calls during an emergency?

Our call centre takes customer calls and generates reports for prioritization according to our restoration plan. In an emergency, extra lines and additional people are assigned to the customer phone centre to help facilitate the increased call volume. These individuals handle primarily emergency calls immediately after a storm and continue to work shifts as long as the volume of calls demand this.

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