News Release: Local co-op prepared to respond to forecasted conditions
HOOKER, Okla. (Feb. 23, 2013) – High winds and blizzard conditions are forecasted for Sunday and Monday according to the National Weather Service. Either of those alone poses the threat of power outages. When taken together, Tri-County Electric prepares its crews to respond to any reported outages.
“I can’t stress enough that members need to be prepared for the possibility of power outages,” Zac Perkins, Corporate Services vice president at Tri-County Electric Cooperative said. “Our first priority is the safety of our employees and members and being prepared is the best way to ensure that. If we have minimal outages like we did Thursday, that’s great, we’re happy. But it’s best to be prepared for the worst and have it not happen than the other way around.”
Perkins advised members to take the following precautions in winter weather conditions:
- Have an emergency kit on hand.
- Stay away from downed power lines if you must go outside. Alert authorities right away.
- Use generators safely. Notify Tri-County Electric if you hook one up, this helps protect power workers from the danger of electrocution.
- Never operate an appliance that uses gasoline, propane or charcoal indoors due to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Visit www.americanredcross.org or www.safeelectricity.org for more safety tips.
Tri-County Electric members can stay connected through the cooperative’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Download the Touchstone Energy Weather Connection app for your smartphone to stay weather aware. Offered exclusively to cooperative members, enter Tri-County Electric’s code 8005223315 to unlock the full functionality of the app. Save the cooperative’s toll free number in your mobile phone or post it somewhere handy so you can report any power outages that may occur. That number is 800-522-3315.
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Related Links
- Tri-County Electric Website: www.tcec.coop
- Tri-County Electric Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tricountyelectric
- Tri-County Electric Twitter: http://twitter.com/TriCountyEC
- American Red Cross: www.americanredcross.org
- Safe Electricity: www.safelectricity.org
- National Weather Service – Amarillo: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/
- National Weather Service – Dodge City: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/
- SPIAA Index: http://www.spia-index.com/
- City of Guymon Storm Shelters: http://www.guymonok.org/?nid=259
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Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc., is dedicated to providing members with safe and reliable electric service at the lowest practical price. Headquartered in Hooker, Okla., Tri-County Electric is a not-for-profit distribution cooperative owned and controlled by its members. The utility serves approximately 23,000 customer accounts in the Oklahoma Panhandle, southwestern Kansas, the northern border of the Texas Panhandle and parts of Colorado and New Mexico. Tri-County Electric is a Touchstone Energy cooperative. For more information, visit www.tcec.coop.
