Lights go out at midnight Sunday
Extra police patrols scheduled during 6-hour power outage
By GREG MOORE
Express Staff Writer
In response to a scheduled power outage early Monday, the Ketchum Police Department will put out extra patrols and staff its office throughout the night.
Idaho Power Co. plans to cut electrical power throughout northern Blaine County from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. Monday to repair a damaged transmission line. The outage will affect about 8,000 customers from St. Luke?s Wood River Medical Center north to Galena.
Kim Rogers, the police department?s public information officer, said additional officers will be working during that time, both to provide security and traffic control. She said the department will temporarily install reflective stop signs at Main Street intersections normally served by traffic lights.
Bars and restaurants are scheduled to close at 11 p.m. Since streetlights will be off after midnight, the police department will have flashlights available for people to borrow to get around town in the dark. The department is located in City Hall at 480 East Ave. N., just north of Atkinsons? Market.
However, Rogers said, ?the best place to be is at home.?
She emphasized that people should not call the 911 emergency line with non-emergency calls. She said the department will have no information on when power will be restored to specific areas.
The city is also asking residents to be conservative with their use of water and the sewer system. Before the outage begins, the city will fill its water tanks, allowing water to flow into the distribution pipes, and will drain its sewage-treatment facility so that it will not need to be pumped during the night. However, without power, those systems will be working at a limited capacity.
Ketchum-based radio stations will be off the air during the power outage.
Traditional-style plug-in phones and cell phones will continue to work during the outage. However, cordless phones powered by electricity will not.
Protect your appliances
Idaho Power Co. has provided the following suggestions to its customers for dealing with the outage.
· Turn off all appliances before the outage is to occur, and unplug the major ones. Leave only one light on to let you know when the power is restored. Leaving appliances off will allow Idaho Power to turn on everyone?s power more quickly and will protect your appliances against voltage surges.
· When power is restored, wait a few minutes and turn on appliances in 10-minute intervals.
· If unopened, a freezer should stay frozen for 72 hours. However, to be sure food is kept cold, fill milk cartons or other containers with water and freeze them to leave in the freezer and to put in the refrigerator.
