With a fresh wave of winter weather sweeping through areas north of Syracuse, National Grid is preparing to respond to any potential power outages. The company held a demonstration Wednesday afternoon to show how they handle repairs when a fuse is blown.
John Fiume, the manager of customer and community management, says National Grid takes steps to prepare for potential issues before winter weather hits, including monitoring forecasts and planning staffing in advance.
Fiume says that, even with planning days ahead, it still takes some coordination between National Grid's partner contractors to fix problems.
While bad weather can make it more difficult to identify the exact cause of an outage, Instructor Ron Dean encouraged the public to call in - even when it seems like power is out for an entire neighborhood. More calls and more information from the public can help crews find and identify problems faster, which means a faster return to service.
Dean said most power interruptions aren’t caused by snow storms, although ice can create problems. He said the main causes are fallen tree limbs and small animals, such as squirrels or birds.
The demonstration occurred at National Grid’s training center in Liverpool. For more information, visit nationalgridus.com.