Fire and ice

Restoring services based on community needs

When the December 2013 ice storm hit the region, Utilities Kingston was in day five of responding to the major Williamsville fire that involved our multiple utility services, including water, gas, and electricity. We were ready for the challenge!

With our team already assembled, employees moved quickly to also assist with ice storm response. For both emergencies – the fire and the ice – employees demonstrated to our community the value of the Utilities Kingston multi-utility model and the strong sense of accountability to our shareholder, the City of Kingston.

The events were further proof that whether it be fire or ice, electricity or water, a collaborative team effort can go a long way.

Employees from cross-functional teams came together seamlessly and pitched in to help restore services to customers as quickly and safely as possible. This helped ensure an effective response to the challenges of dealing with one emergency in the immediate wake of another.

We are a team and appreciated everyone’s strong sense of responsibility and desire to help.

Crews who typically work in water distribution brought in heavy equipment to clear snow and ice and ensure site access for hydro trucks.
Electricians from the street lights and traffic signals group assisted powerline workers with downed wires and line clearing.
Engineering staff patrolled hydro lines, while technologists provided maps to field crews, operations and customer communications.
Interdepartmental staff helped take customer calls in the operations centre, while others provided supplies and meals to field staff.
The wastewater treatment group installed generators normally used at treatment facilities to provide back-up power for vital radio communications.

photo by Elliot Ferguson
Kingston Whig-Standard

Putting the community first

Throughout the two emergencies, management and staff coordinated with municipal groups to restore utility services based on community needs.

We managed our response to not only restore power, but to also help ensure fire protection, safe removal of a crane involved in the fire, continuity of the municipal and emergency services radio communications system, and that the needs of social services were met.

Some customers were evacuated from their homes and we recognize this was a very difficult time for them. That’s why we were glad to provide one point of contact and accurate, complete information to address their combined utility needs. Having all the utilities under one roof also allowed us to restore services to them in a coordinated manner, for example to reduce the risk of bursting water pipes.

During the fire emergency, operators made sure there was a reliable supply of water from the plant and throughout the distribution system. They monitored flow and water pressure, and adjusted the system by operating valves and pumps. 17 fire hydrants were operated by the fire department and kept in good working order by our staff.

Overnight on the first day of the emergency, approximately 16,000 cubic metres of water was supplied from the King Street Water Treatment Plant to fight the fire. That’s about 1,250 water trucks!

Crews are proud of the reliability of the water distribution system. We’re pleased to say that throughout this emergency, there were no water main breaks and customers reported no issues with water discolouration.

Meanwhile, the street light and traffic signals group adjusted signals to improve traffic flow near the site. There was major damage to an involved intersection that was repaired by crews as soon as it was safe to access the site.

The gas department worked hard to ensure the safety of the gas distribution system, preparing for isolation and conducting gas leak surveys. One of their main challenges was accessing gas valves near the fire area due to the large amount of water pouring down the street. At times the water went right over their boots!

Ensuring the reliability of electricity services

As of 6 p.m. on December 21, Kingston had seen 40 straight hours of freezing rain – and it wasn’t done yet. Although 90 per cent of our 27,000 electricity customers in the Kingston Hydro distribution area lost power at some point, many of the outages weren’t from storm damage, but were required to provide protection for the workers making repairs. Approximately 300 individual services were also affected and addressed by our staff within 36 hours.

photo by Elliot Ferguson, Kingston Whig-Standard

We experienced mainly short duration service disruptions due to ice-covered tree limbs falling on lines. The longest outage on Kingston Hydro equipment was 13 hours.

Although Kingston was one of the areas in the province hardest hit by the ice storm, our co-ordinated efforts to replace deteriorated poles and trim trees minimized the number and duration of disruptions. We’re proud to say that there were no broken poles resulting from the heavy ice coverage.

tree trimming program in action,
helping to ensure the reliability of electricity supply

Effective operations in unique circumstances

During the ice storm, utility operators dealt with some unique challenges since circuits were not yet returned to their normal state from the fire. For example, we had underground electrical vaults flooded from firefighting and 18 inches of ice on the streets. This made it difficult to access our electricity infrastructure, something we normally take for granted!

The health and safety of our staff is a top priority. That’s why management rotated staff to ensure regular rest periods, while also providing 24-hour coverage and making the best use of daylight hours. We divided the Kingston Hydro distribution area into zones and assigned crews to areas based on priority and efficiency. Office staff made hot meals and coffee available at the control centre for when the crews returned to rest and regroup, and we know this was appreciated by all.

Operations Control Centre

Communications staff worked from the operations centre in order to provide accurate and timely information to customers via social media and other mechanisms. We focused on two-way conversations and attempted to directly respond to all tweets and Facebook posts.

Feedback from the community was that the flow of information facilitated by social media kept them up-to-date and reassured. We were glad to help in this way. It reinforced the value of real-time interaction in emergency situations. Providing these regular and accurate updates also took pressure away from operations centre staff, allowing them to focus on safely restoring services.

Thank you for the support and encouragement!

During both the fire and ice, we received an outpouring of support and encouragement from customers, residents, and community groups who expressed their gratitude for the crews’ efforts and expertise. The community and local media pitched in by sharing information, demonstrating patience and understanding, and reporting problems.