Edhat StaffSource: Santa Barbara County Public Health Department
During wildfires, it is not unusual to have power outages. These power outages could impact healthcare providers and individuals who use electrically powered medical equipment.
In the case of a power outage, residents are reminded:
- If you come across any downed wires, stay away and call 911.
- Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they’re fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage. Do not use candles because they pose a significant fire hazard.
- If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using heavy-duty extension cords. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.
- When power is out, traffic signals may be out so approach those intersections as four-way stops.
Due to these potential impacts, the power system will face additional strain and customers in the Santa Barbara area could lose power. Santa Barbara area customers to conserve energy through Sunday. Small actions from area customers can make a real difference.
Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is asking all healthcare providers and individuals who use electrically powered medical equipment to prepare for potential electrical outages. Make sure back-up batteries are fully charged and back-up oxygen tanks are filled and available. For healthcare providers with vaccines, a plan should be in place to transfer vaccine to a refrigerator in an alternate location with power.
