Unplanned power outage, Wide Area

What to do or expect:

Power Outage Precautions:

• Turn off all appliances that will turn on automatically when power is restored.
• Plan ahead and consider a source of back-up power for important building systems, including sump pumps.
• Keep a phone that does not require electricity. Cordless phones require electricity or battery backup and may not work in a power outage. Take the opportunity when you do have power to charge critical electronic devices such as mobile phones. 
• Know the steps you can take to keep your food safe in an emergency with this information from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
• Use caution when using open flames. Never leave burning candles unattended, and keep them well away from kids and pets.
• Do not use a propane barbeque, camp stove or portable standby generator indoors. They can generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Your carbon monoxide detector may not work in an outage.
• Know safe installation and other precautions to avoid dangers associated with generators. Review the section on portable standby generators below.
• Avoid elevators until the power has been stabilized.
• Power outages mean that a number of traffic signals may not be working and travellers are reminded to treat the affected intersections as though they are four-way stops and yield to traffic on the right.
• The City of Kingston offers a helpful resource to help you and your family prepare for an emergency. Check it out on their website. We recommend that all property owners maintain a kit which includes candles, a flashlight, batteries and a battery powered radio.
• Review these Stormy Weather Tips from the Electrical Safety Authority.
• Review this preventative information from City of Kingston Fire & Rescue on staying safe during a power outage.

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