On Tuesday, NorthWestern Energy said it is in the early stages of their Public Safety Power Shutoff plan, which is a new defense being added to the utility company’s wildfire mitigation efforts.
With the hot and dry weather conditions causing increased fire risk, Cascade County Disaster & Emergency Services (DES) want to make sure the public is aware of their readiness for potential wildfires in the area.
Joey Zahara, director of emergency management for Cascade County, said they are remaining vigilant and are proactively preparing crews.
“We want you to take proactive steps if you come across potential risks for fire,” said Zahara. “Chain dragging behind your vehicle, throwing cigarette butts out of your window, anything with potential ignition source. This is a community team effort and any chance to reduce this risk will be taken.”
All rural fire departments in Cascade County are ready and prepared to respond in the event that a wildfire does break out.
“The fire risk is up and our crews, all our rural fire departments, are ready to respond. And they know that the risks of wildfire with this impending weather have increased, and they're very well prepared on their end,” Zahara said.
The City of Great Falls has been contacted by residents, businesses, and organizations regarding a recent notification from NorthWestern Energy (NWE) regarding its Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan.
On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, NWE said that it is in the earliest stage of its Public Safety Power Shutoff plan that involves monitoring weather. NWE does not have any outages planned at that time – it was simply a monitoring update.
NWE says that Public Safety Power Shutoffs are a measure of last resort, and part of its Wildfire Mitigation Plan that includes strategies to prevent power lines from sparking a wildfire.
Public Safety Power Shutoffs are used only in extreme situations during severe fire weather.
NWE has since clarified that if a planned power outage is needed for public safety, it is most likely to occur in wildfire-prone rural areas. The impact on Great Falls residents is likely to be minimal compared to rural locations, according to a news release from Kate Brewer, the
Community Risk Reduction Manager for Great Falls Fire Rescue.
NorthWestern Energy says that if an area will be affected by a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff, they will notify residents numerous times throughout the process by automated phone calls and emails before power is turned off and after it is restored.
NorthWestern Energy said on Wednesday: "There are no Public Safety Power Shutoffs planned at this time. Based on assessment of the forecasted conditions, we are confident that a Public Safety Power Shutoff is not imminent for any of our Montana customers at this time. As we do throughout the fire season, we will continue to monitor, analyze and assess wildfire conditions."
Here are the steps involved in a Public Safety Power Shutoff:
- Monitoring - As fire danger increases, NorthWestern Energy will closely monitor the situation and assess the need for a Public Safety Power Shutoff. As soon as we enter the "PSPS monitoring" phase, our website will be updated with information, and we will reach out to local community agencies, such as police, sheriff and fire departments.
- Watch - When we reach the stage of "PSPS watch," customers who may be impacted will receive an automated call from NorthWestern. We will continue to update our website and reach out to media organizations and community leaders.
- Alert - If a PSPS becomes imminent, we advance to the "PSPS alert" stage. At this point customers will be contacted again via a call campaign. Community members, media and stakeholders will be notified as well.
- Shutoff In-Effect - When we de-energize our power lines, we will continue to update our website as we monitor the situation.
- Closeout - When we restore power, impacted customers will receive another automated call to let them know power has been restored.
People are encouraged to make sure NorthWestern Energy has their most current contact information by logging into My Energy Account (link) or by calling NWE at 1-888-467-2669 .
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The City of Great Falls encourages residents to review information about NorthWestern Energy’s Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan, its stages of a Public Safety Power Shutoff Event, and Public Safety Power Shutoff Map at the NWE website.
While NorthWestern Energy’s Public Safety Power Shutoff messaging is more likely for areas outside Great Falls, being prepared for emergencies such as power outages or wildfires is strongly encouraged. Households should discuss evacuation routes, meeting locations, emergency supplies and how they will receive emergency alerts and warnings.
