Safety Tips Faqs

• Stay away from power lines on the ground. Always assume downed lines are energized even if the lines are sagging or broken.
• Do not attempt to remove trees or limbs from lines.
• Do not sit in an idling car in the garage to get warm. Never use a camp stove or charcoal grill indoors to generate heat.
• Lower the thermostat to a minimum.
• Turn off all appliances that were on when the power went out.
• Leave an outside light on so repair crews will know when power is back on.
• Have a battery-operated radio or TV. In the case of large outages, KEC notifies the media of the status of the outage.
• Have a cell phone or an inexpensive, basic phone available to make and receive calls during an outage. Many of the latest phone models do not work without power.

• Call KEC at (208) 765-1200 (or (877) 744-1055 after hours) to report a downed line or car accident with a KEC pole.
• ​​​​​​Never touch or go near a downed power line. Always assume power lines are energized.
• Don’t touch anything that may be touching a downed wire, such as a car.

If your car crashes into a utility pole, your vehicle may be charged with electricity. If this is the case and you step out of the car, you will become the electricity’s path to the ground and could be electrocuted.

Make sure you:

• Stay in the car, and tell others to do the same.
• Call 911 and mention the accident involves a utility pole.
• Do not leave your vehicle until a utility professional has told you it is safe to do so.

The only circumstance under which you should exit the vehicle is if it is on fire. If necessary:

• Jump clear of the vehicle with your feet together and without touching the vehicle and ground at the same time.
• Continue to “bunny hop” with your feet together to safety. Doing this will ensure that you are only one point of contact and will not have different strengths of electric current running from one foot to another, which can be deadly.

If you come upon an accident involving power lines, do not approach the accident scene. If you see someone approaching, warn them to stay away.

Here's how we prepare for storms:

• Continually monitoring the weather.
• Notifying staff to be available to work.
• Annually performing reliability improvements, including right-of-way maintenance.

Here's what you can do before your power goes out:

• Sign up for Kootenai Electric Cooperative outage alerts by logging in to your account.
• Charge cell phones.
• Have a plan for your pets and livestock.
• If your water supply is dependent on electricity, fill your bathtub with water.
• Ensure smoke alarm batteries have been changed recently. Also, consider how an outage will affect home security systems, garage doors, and sprinkler systems.
• Assemble an emergency storm kit containing:
  • Flashlights and fresh batteries.
  • Battery-powered radio or TV and extra batteries.
  • Bottled water (1 gallon per person per day).
  • Nonperishable foods.
  • Blankets, bedding, or sleeping bags.
  • First-aid kit and prescription medications.
  • Hand-operated can opener.
  • Special items for infants, the elderly, or family members with special needs.
  • A variety of hand tools.
  • Identification and copies of important family documents in a waterproof container.
  • Cash (ATMs may be unavailable).
• Remember, power outages can be reported at (877) 744-1055 or through our SmartHub app.

If you have a medical need that relies on electricity, here’s how we can help you during an outage:

• Sign up for KEC outage alerts. Log in to your account online or download the SmartHub app on your phone to stay connected with KEC.
• You can report power outages and electrical emergencies by calling (877) 744-1055, using your online account, or using the SmartHub app.

Here’s how you can help us restore power to members quickly and safely:

• Always report a power outage or electrical emergency, don’t assume someone else will call.
• If you have a generator installed, please call us at (208) 765-1200. For the safety of our employees and the public, we track where backup generators are installed.

Other Resources

The Food and Drug Administration published Guidance on Home Use Devices, recommending that individuals dependent on a medical device establish a plan for responding to a power outage and maintain medical information, a list of emergency contacts, extra oxygen tanks, battery backups, and contact information for transportation services. View Power Outage Booklet (PDF).

Below are some tips provided by the Ready.gov website for making a power outage plan for those who rely on electricity for medical needs.

• Plan alternative ways to charge your mobile devices, and communication and assistive technology devices before disaster strikes.
• Plan how you will address your dependence on electricity. Tell your power company if you use oxygen- or mechanical ventilation. Be very clear about what you can expect from them in a power outage.
• Before disaster strikes, you may register with your power company. They may alert you when power will be restored in an unplanned outage and before a planned outage. This is particularly important if you use oxygen or mechanical ventilation.
• If you cannot be without power, plan for how you will obtain power backup. If possible, have a backup battery, generator, solar, or alternate electrical resources. Explore newer solutions, and also consider foot pumps and other simple tools that might suffice when nothing else works.
• Charge devices that will maintain power to your equipment during electric outages.
• Purchase extra batteries for power wheelchairs or other battery-operated medical or assistive technology devices. Keep the batteries trickle-charged at all times. Find out if you can charge your wheelchair or devices from a car or using rechargeable marine batteries. Make sure you assemble what you’ll need in advance.
• Backup chargers for a cell phone could include a hand-crank USB cell phone emergency charger, a solar charger, or a battery pack. Some weather radios have a built-in hand crank charger.
• Backup chargers for a laptop or tablet could include a 12V USB adapter that plugs into a car, an inverter, or a battery jump pack with a USB port.
• Receive important information on a cell phone or smartphone. Sign up for emergency emails and text messages on your cell phone from your local government alert system.
• Plan how you are going to receive emergency information if you are unable to use a television, radio, or computer. This may include having an adaptive weather alert system to alert you in the event of severe weather.
• Plan for medications that require refrigeration.

For more information visit the Ready.gov website or U.S. Food & Drug website

KEC has its crews on call 24 hours a day and ready to be dispatched throughout our service territory. The following are a few reminders and safety tips for winter storms.

For Cold Weather:

• Do not sit in an idling car in the garage to get warm. Never use a camp stove or charcoal grill indoors to generate heat.
• Consider opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer room air to circulate around the plumbing.
• Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat in your home set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.

Power Outage Safety:

• Stay away from power lines on the ground. Always assume downed lines are energized even if the lines are sagging or broken. Call KEC at (877) 744-1055 right away to report them.
• Do not attempt to remove trees or limbs from lines.
• In the case of large outages in rural/limited access areas where snow removal has not been consistent, members should be prepared for lengthy outages.
• When shoveling snow off the roof – look up and be sure there are no power lines above you.
• If you are able, keep your driveway plowed to help our crews have better access.
• Turn off all appliances that were on when the power went out.
• Leave an outside light on so repair crews will know when the power is back on.
• Have a battery-operated radio or TV. In the case of large outages, KEC notifies the media of the status of the outage.
• Have a cell phone or an inexpensive, basic phone available to make and receive calls during an outage. Many phone models do not work without power.
• Generators can cause a serious safety problem if improperly installed and could cause injury to utility workers and the general public. All backup generator installations must have a transfer switch installed in accordance with the requirements of the National Electric Code. Call the KEC office at (208) 765-1200 for more information.

For more tips on how to develop a family emergency plan and what to include in an emergency storm kit, visit the American Red Cross website.

If a power outage does occur, please call the KEC outage line at (877) 744-1055. Our outage management system tracks calls based on caller ID. When calling in power outages KEC members should call from the phone number KEC has in its system to identify the location. If you aren’t sure which number we have in our system for you please call our office at (208) 765-1200.

• View If Your Home Freezer Stops (PDF)

Weather-related:

• High winds
• Lightning
• Ice or snow

Others:

• Farm equipment or vehicle contact with poles or wires
• Animals (squirrels, raccoons, birds, etc.)
• Trees and branches in contact with lines
• High power demand that causes overload

The following are some of the common questions (and answers) about power outages:

Does KEC provide restoration estimates?

Generally, KEC includes estimated times of restoration on our outage map, when they are available. During severe storms, it is very difficult to make accurate estimates.

How do you determine where to restore power first?

During a storm, crews work to restore power to the greatest number of members in the shortest time possible.

Why doesn’t KEC put all the power lines underground?

Currently, more than half of our power lines have been built underground. Almost all new construction is also built underground. Underground lines can be three times the cost of overhead lines. After the wind and snowstorms of 2015, KEC was awarded more than $10 million in special grant funding from FEMA to convert approximately 50 miles of our most problematic overhead lines to underground.

What is KEC doing to keep trees from falling on lines?

To minimize the risk of trees contacting our overhead lines, KEC has an aggressive vegetation management plan. We trim rights-of-way to provide for the minimum clearance distance of 30 feet or 15 feet on either side of the power line. We also ask members to call and report any trees they see close to our primary lines or dead trees that may fall on our lines. KEC will remove trees threatening our lines at no cost to landowners. KEC does not trim service lines (the line from KEC’s transformer to your house). That is the homeowner’s responsibility. We will come out at no charge and drop the service line so the member can trim service line trees safely.

Should I help your crews by cutting trees that have fallen on power lines?

If a tree has fallen into power lines on your property, please stay away and contact us as soon as possible. Downed power lines are dangerous. Never touch them. For safety’s sake, always assume that a fallen power line is live, and follow these guidelines:

• Avoid touching the downed line with your hand or an object, such as a stick, broom, or pole.
• Avoid touching anything, such as a car, object, or equipment, or anyone who is in contact with a fallen power line.
• Avoid driving over a fallen power line.
• Trees and water conduct electricity. Do not spray water at a live power line. You can become electricity’s path to the ground if you are touching water that touches electricity resulting in injury or death.

Where can I get updates during outages?

We encourage members to sign up for outage alerts by text or email using your SmartHub account. Remember to keep your contact information (phone and email) updated so we can notify you in the event of planned power outages. During large outages, updates are also available at Kootenai Electric's Facebook page.