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In the Black: How to Take Control during Power Outages
Power outages are great inconveniences today, causing real frustration and problems in a world powered by and dependent on electricity. Without power, appliances shut down, heating and cooling systems stop, and the lights go out; in the winter, power failure issues are compounded by the cold weather, which can seep into your home and cause water pipes to freeze, making life uncomfortable for the duration of the power outage.
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Emergency Kit
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- Battery-powered radio or TV (+ extra batteries)
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- Wind-up or battery-powered alarm clock
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- Bottled water (one gallon/person/day)
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- Non-perishable foods that need no heating (canned goods, peanut butter, trail mix)
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- First Aid Kit & prescription medications
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- Special items for special needs individuals
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- Hand tools (hammer, scissors)
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- Waterproof matches & lighters
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- ID & copies of important documents in waterproof container
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Because it can be difficult to anticipate power outages or predict the duration of an outage, homeowners are wise to prepare for these inconveniences well in advance and to expect lengthy power failures. A key step in preparing yourself and your family for the difficulties that accompany loss of heat and electricity is to compile an emergency package and store it in a safe place that can be accessed easily in the dark.
In the event of a power outage, you may find yourself in one of two places: at your home or away from your home. Where you are when the power fails in your home will dictate the strategies you take in coping with the situation.
Strategy A: When You're at Home
If the power goes out when you and your family are at home, you should first ensure that all family members are safe and inform them of the location of the emergency kit; it may help to gather everyone in the same room to share body heat in the winter months.
Next, you may wish to contact your power company and turn on a battery-operated radio to receive updates and gain a better understanding of the expected duration of the outage.
Following this step, check three key elements in your home: food storage, supplies of drinking water, and potential for exposure to extreme temperatures.
Food Storage – Refrigerators and deep freezers are affected by loss of power quickly—food can only be stored safely in a fridge without power for two hours and in a freezer without power for 36 to 48 hours (for best results, keep the doors closed as long as possible). Keep a cooler handy and fill it with ice soon after the power goes out, then set refrigerated foods (especially milk and dairy, meet, fish, eggs, and spoilable leftovers) in the cooler. Use your digital thermometer from the Emergency Kit to check that all foods stay below 2 degrees Celsius; anything that goes above that temperature should be discarded.
If you anticipate a lengthy power outage, place bottles of water in your freezer as early as possible; these bottles may then be used to insulate items in the cooler.
Drinking Water – In cold and warm weather alike, risk of dehydration is high. If you do not have a large supply of drinking water and you're uncertain as to whether city water purification systems are operational during power outages (contact the city to be sure), be sure to boil questionable tap water for at least one minute before using it. If you do not have access to facilities to boil water without electricity, you may opt to treat water with chlorine tablets or iodine tablets, but note that this does not kill parasitic organisms.
Cold Temperatures – Hypothermia, which can occur when an individual's core body temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius, is common during extended immersion in extreme cold with inadequate clothing, poor nutrition, dehydration, and/or fatigue. During lengthy power outages in cold weather and even short outages in extremely cold weather, individuals may become hypothermic and require immediate care by a trained physician only.
Help yourself and your family avoid hypothermia and other cold weather ailments during winter power outages by ensuring they remain completely warm; they are properly clothed; they eat regularly and drink lots of water; and they take the time to rest.
Once you are confident that your food and water supplies are stable and you and your family are warm, dry, and prepared for a potentially lengthy power outage, you should turn off or disconnect appliances or electronics that were in use before the failure (but leave one on so you'll know when the power returns) and open your faucets slightly to prevent the pipes from freezing.
Strategy B: When You're Away from Your Home
If you are driving and a power line happens to fall on or near your car, the safest place for you to be is in your car. The exception to this rule is if your car is on fire; if this occurs and your car is in contact with a downed power line, you should:
- open the door; do not step out of the car as you may receive a severe shock
- jump free of the car so your body clears the car before it touches the ground
- with both feet firmly on the ground, shuffle clear of the car (at least 20 meters)
Immediately call 911 for help. Do not attempt to help another person from the car while you are standing on the ground.
If you are at work when the power goes off, follow standard company procedures. During the power outage, you may want to follow the same steps as in Strategy A; however, you should also be aware of potential risks to you and your coworkers during recovery. Take measures to ensure that, if you are in close proximity to power lines, electrical parts, and/or the moving components of heavy machinery, you move away and protect yourself from potential injury.
You may wish to call your family to see if they are also in a location that is experiencing power failure (be sure to try calling the emergency telephone in your Emergency Kit).
Your VOXCOM Security System
All VOXCOM security systems are installed with a backup battery that allows your system to continue to function in the event of a power outage, but it is important that you know how to recognize when your system is not receiving power and what to do if this occurs.
Your system will alert you when it loses power. Depending on the type of system you have, it may do this in one of the following ways:
- Display a message on the keypad display that reads: "A/C Power Failure" or "NO AC"
- The "Trouble" or "System" light will turn on
- The power indicator will be off
When your system experiences a loss of power, it sends a signal to the VOXCOM Emergency Response Centre to inform us. If this occurs between the hours of 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM (local time) and your power has been out for more than half an hour, an operator will call your residence to inform you that we are currently receiving a loss of power signal to your security system.
It is important that any loss of power be resolved quickly because the battery backup is an exhaustible resource. In the event that we are receiving both a loss of power signal and a low battery signal from your security system and are unable to contact you, we will begin to call your designated contacts to ensure the safety of your home and property.
Once power has been restored to your home, it is a good idea to test your system. For step by step instructions on how to test your system, click here.
If you have any questions about this or any other issue related to your alarm system or the security of your location, please don't hesitate to email us, call 1.800.387.2966, or check your user manual.
Better Security for Your Family
With the right preparations, power outages need not be a frustrating or costly inconvenience. For further information on handling short- and long-term power failures, please contact your power supplier or your city/town office.
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