SDG&E unveils new safety measures for fire season

SAN DIEGO – As California responds to the year-round threat of wildfires, San Diego Gas & Electric unveiled additional enhancements to improve public safety and help ensure customers and communities in the utility’s service territory are better prepared for wildfire emergencies.

The Erickson Aircrane is available 365 days a year. Traditionally here for four months, August through November, SDG&E has contracted for the Aircrane to remain stationed at Gillespie Field all year for dispatch by Cal Fire when needed. The Aircrane, the largest water-dropping helitanker in the country, already has responded to more wildfires this year than all of 2017. Holding 2,650 gallons of water or fire suppressant, the massive air machine can drop the equivalent of what five fire engines carry.

“The SDG&E Aircrane has been and will continue to be a game changer for Cal Fire and the San Diego County Fire Authority,” San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham said. “To have this critical tool available to us during the early stages of a fire has already had a very real impact on fires this year.”

New electric equipment will minimize customer outages. When SDG&E needs to turn off power for safety in high-fire-threat areas, fewer customers will now be impacted by the Public Safety Power Shutoff program. With a focus on reducing impacts to customers, SDG&E engineers have identified methods to sectionalize electric circuits by employing technology that reduces the number of customers impacted during a shut-off event by 73 percent.

Nine Community Resource Centers were unveiled. Responding to requests from the public, nine stationary Community Resource Centers have been established and will serve as a location where SDG&E customers can go when circuits are shut off in their area for extended Public Safety Power Shutoff events. Community Resource Centers will be open during extended power shut off periods lasting more than 24 hours. Hours will vary based on each event. These centers will provide up-to-date information and basic needs like water, snacks and a place to charge cell phones. SDG&E has partnered with local Community Emergency Response Teams to host the centers.

Dedicated wildfire safety web page launched. Around-the-clock weather information, live views of fire-threat areas and additional safety information are available at http://www.sdge.com/wildfire-safety.

“We are working hard to mitigate the risks associated with this ‘new normal’ of a year-round wildfire season and trying to protect the people and communities we serve,” Caroline Winn, SDG&E’s chief operating officer, said. “Together, we can continue to enhance public safety and make our region more resilient. The new, enhanced preparedness efforts will complement SDG&E’s decade-long comprehensive fire risk mitigation program designed to prevent the ignition of wildfires.”

These collective measures, combined with working collaboratively with San Diego County, local jurisdictions and the state of California are key to ensuring the safety of the region. At SDG&E, these efforts include continuing modernization of infrastructure in fire-prone areas; expanding fire-predictive modeling capabilities; sharing this information with local fire agencies and increasing vegetation management beyond current state regulations to ensure an increased level of preparedness.

SDG&E is an innovative San Diego-based energy company that provides clean, safe and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. For more information, visit SDGEnews.com.

Submitted by San Diego Gas & Electric.