With the first-ever National Emergency Management Awareness Month to be held in August, Unitil is recognizing the vital role that strong partnerships with local emergency management officials play when preparing for the unexpected.
Spearheaded by the International Association of Emergency Managers, the inaugural National Emergency Management Awareness Month aims to highlight the importance of emergency management and the contributions of those who work to keep their communities safe during weather-related events and other emergencies.
Unitil, a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, works closely with emergency managers at all levels throughout the year to maintain public safety and ensure a proper response to potential hazards.
“As a utility provider, we know first-hand the importance of emergency planning and coordinating with emergency managers in all of our service territories. We must work as a team before, during, and after an event and we appreciate the vital work these emergency officials perform year-round to make sure their communities are prepared,” said Alec O’Meara, Unitil’s External Affairs Director.
As part of its emergency preparedness efforts, Unitil held its annual electric drill last week to put its response to a storm-related event to the test. Each year, the company performs an electric training exercise designed to gauge the effectiveness of its emergency response plan. The day-long drill, which involves key members of public safety and other officials at the state and local levels, provides an opportunity for Unitil to coordinate and implement its response actions involving a simulated major electrical emergency.
Unitil Business Resiliency and Compliance Manager Jacklyn Munguia and Unitil Emergency Planning Specialist Kashena Window are instrumental in preparing and conducting the company’s emergency response exercises and are also members of the International Association of Emergency Managers.
This year’s exercise involved a scenario that focused on a line of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds that caused significant power outages. The simulation also included reports of major flooding at Hampton Beach, N.H., a brush fire with evacuations near a transmission line in Concord, N.H., and a possible tornado in Ashby, Mass.
Exeter, N.H., Fire Chief Justin Pizon, who serves as the town’s deputy emergency management director, said the recent electric drill and Unitil’s annual Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordination Meetings are helpful in emergency planning because they give him a chance to get to know others who may play critical roles in a real emergency.
The annual meetings are a way to better understand how communities and utilities can work together to provide essential services and respond to emergencies while protecting the public. They are also an opportunity for Unitil to hear directly from stakeholders in an effort to improve coordinated efforts and communications during emergency events.
“If you’re meeting people for the first time in an emergency, then I have not done my job as a deputy emergency management director. Those connections need to be made way ahead of the emergency taking place and I always find those opportunities to meet other people, including Unitil staff and other fire chiefs and emergency management directors, really important,” Pizon said.
Caity Hager, Emergency Management Coordinator for the city of Portland, also emphasized the importance of those annual emergency preparedness sessions in Maine, where Unitil provides natural gas service.
“Our ongoing partnership with Unitil is invaluable. Their annual meeting and training allow us to understand their systems and emergency procedures, ensuring we're better prepared to work together during a crisis and enhancing Portland's overall emergency response capabilities," she said.
Michael McMahon, Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director in Hampton, N.H., explained that collaboration between public safety agencies and utilities is essential for proactive emergency planning and ensuring a coordinated response. He also pointed out that many people don’t fully understand the responsibilities of an emergency management official.
“Most people don’t think about it. Around here, it’s not a standalone agency. They don’t look at me and say, ‘Oh, he’s the emergency management guy. He’s the fire chief,’” McMahon said. “There isn’t that distinction here like there is in other parts of the country. There’s not a real understanding among most folks that emergency management exists as a separate discipline, if you will.”
For more information on safety and emergency preparedness, visit unitil.com/safety-preparedness.
Photo Captions:
- Top Photo: Mark Dupuis, Unitil’s Director of Gas System and Transmission Operations, presents natural gas safety information during one of the regular training sessions Unitil holds with firefighters throughout its service territories.
- Middle Photo: Exeter, N.H., Fire Chief Justin Pizon, who serves as the town's deputy emergency management director, and Exeter, N.H., Police Lt. Devin West listen in during an annual Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordination Meeting hosted by Unitil.
- Last Photo: Unitil holds an electric training exercise each year to test the effectiveness of its emergency response plan as part of the company's preparedness efforts.
