The Summer Storm Season Is Here

Weather can be unpredictable, but taking a little time to prepare before a storm strikes can help you stay safe and connected to information in the event of severe weather. We encourage you to review this information and take steps to prepare now.

Before a Storm Strikes
Assemble an emergency storm kit with bottled water, nonperishable foods, blankets, flashlights and extra batteries, a first-aid kit and hand tools. Be sure to stock prescriptions, special medical or infant supplies and other essentials. Then develop and practice an emergency plan with everyone in your household.

If you rely on emergency or life-support equipment such as a respirator or kidney dialysis machine, our Emergency Medical Equipment Notification Program (EMENP) can provide advanced notice of severe storms and scheduled outages. Visit pepco.com/EMENP to learn more.

If severe weather is approaching, charge cell phones and mobile devices, protect and unplug electronics and fill your tub if your water supply depends on electricity. Be sure to download our mobile app to help you stay connected to information.

If Power Goes Out

• Restoring power safely takes time. Follow these steps to minimize the effect of an outage in your home.
• Unplug or turn off TVs, appliances and lights, keeping one lamp switched on so you know when power has been restored
• Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed
• Close blinds and shades to keep rooms cool
• Always operate portable generators outside, away from doors and windows so deadly fumes won’t enter your home or garage
• Drink plenty of water and avoid overheating
• When conditions are safe, check on elderly or home-bound neighbors who may be vulnerable to heat stress

National Preparedness Month

September marks the tenth annual National Preparedness Month and as an active participant in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Campaign, we would like to share with you some tips on preparing for emergencies and what to do if you lose power.

Preparing for Emergencies
To prepare for emergency situations, I encourage you to assemble an emergency kit that contains the following items:

• Flashlights and fresh batteries
• Battery-powered radio or TV and extra batteries
• Land-line phone with cord (cordless phones require electricity)
• Battery-powered or windup alarm clock
• Supply of bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
• Non-perishable foods that require no heating
• Blankets, bedding or sleeping bags
• First-aid kit and prescription medications
• Hand-operated can opener
• Special medical or infant supplies
• A variety of hand tools
• List of emergency phone numbers

As part of your preparation, it’s important to know what you and your family will do in an emergency situation. Ready.gov provides a helpful template for you to make a plan and share it with each family member.

If Power Goes Out
Staying safe during an emergency situation should be your top priority. Here are some ways to stay safe if you lose power:

• Report outages and downed wires at 1-877-737-2662, online at pepco.com, or using our mobile app.
• Never go near downed wires and always stay clear of working crews
• Locate your emergency kit
• Avoid wet and flooded areas as electricity and water are a dangerous combination
• Unplug or turn off most lamps, TVs and appliances
• Keep freezer and refrigerator doors shut
• In summer, close shades or curtains to keep rooms cooler
• In winter, let the sun warm rooms during the day; at night close shades or curtains to keep warmth in
• Be safe around candles/open flames
• If you are operating a generator, make sure that you follow all safety guidelines

We’ve also created a handbook to help you be prepared before, during and after storms. Please print it and keep it with other essential storm-related items in your home.

Learn About Our Emergency Medical Equipment Notification Program

At Pepco, we recognize that some of our customers rely on life-support equipment that requires electricity to operate.  We encourage these customers to sign up for our Emergency Medical Equipment Notification Program (EMENP). The program provides advance notice of scheduled outages and severe weather alerts to customers who depend on electricity for emergency medical and life-support equipment.

What We Provide To Qualified Participants

• An annual information package to help customers with life-support equipment prepare for emergencies in their homes
• Advance Notification of scheduled outages for maintenance or construction work that might affect their electric service
• Advance Notification of severe storms such as hurricane warnings that could lead to extended outages on our electric system

Please note that since customers who rely on electricity to power life-support equipment are located throughout our service area, it is not possible to provide restoration priority to these customers following storm outages. In addition, the program does not exempt customers from disconnection of electric service for non-payment.

How to Get Started

To enroll, please download, print and complete the certification form or call our Customer Care Team to request the certification form to be mailed to you. The fax number for submitting completed certification forms is 800-461-9737, or you may send the form to us through:

Mail:
Pepco
Customer Credit Department
701 Ninth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20068-0001

Email: MedicalForms@pepco.com

Download:
Certification Form for MD Residents
Certification Form for DC Residents

How to Prepare For Emergencies 

• Assemble a “storm kit” and include a battery-operated radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery powered or windup clock, extra batteries, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.
• Keep at least a 3-day supply of nonperishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.
• Check your supplies of medications, prescription drugs and any special health need items such as Contact lens supplies or infant supplies.
• Identify a location with emergency power capabilities, and make plans ahead of time to go there or to a health care facility during a prolonged outage. One alternative would be to ask a relative or friend who has power if you can stay with them.

For more tips on how to prepare for emergencies, visit our EMENP page on our website.

Important Phone Numbers

Outages
1-877-PEPCO62 (1-877-737-2662)

Customer Care
202-833-7500

Emergencies
To report downed wires and life-threatening emergencies, call us at 1-877-737-2662 and follow the prompts.

TTY: 202-872-2369
Servicio en Espanol: 202-872-4641

September is National Preparedness Month

Pepco is an active participant is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Campaign, and in recognition of National Preparedness Month, I would like to share with you some tips on preparing for emergencies and what to do if you lose power.

Emergencies can range from inconvenient to devastating, and they can happen at any time. However, by taking some simple steps to prepare in advance, you can minimize their impact and make a big difference in ensuring the safety and well-being of you and your family.

Preparing for Emergencies

To prepare for emergency situations, I encourage you to assemble an emergency kit that contains the following items:

• Flashlight, hand-held radio and battery powered clock with extra batteries for each device
• Basic first aid kit,
• Ice pack for cooling or first aid,
• Insulated cooler
• List of important and emergency contact numbers
• A three-day supply of nonperishable food
• A three-day supply of bottled water (one gallon per household member per day)

Keep this kit in a safe, dry place where you can easily locate it. Many people store these items next to or inside their coolers to save storage space. It’s a good idea to keep extra medications and/or infant supplies, and personal hygiene products such as diapers and toilet paper handy. I also recommend having a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as backup – cordless telephones require electricity to operate, so they don’t work if there is an outage.

As part of your preparation, it’s important to know what you and your family will do in an emergency situation. Ready.gov provides a helpful template for you to make a plan and share it with each family member. In addition, if you or a family member needs power for critical medical equipment, you should have a contingency plan of where to go if you lose power. You can also register with our Emergency Medical Equipment Notification Program, which provides registered customers with advance notice of scheduled outages and severe weather alerts.

What to do if a storm is coming

Emergencies are often unexpected, but in cases where you have advanced notice of a potential emergency event such as a blizzard or a hurricane, you may wish to make these additional preparations:

• Keep cash on hand, as electric ATMs or credit card readers may lose power
• If your home is served by well water, fill a bathtub with water for sanitation use.
• Review these food safety guidelines and make or purchase extra ice
• Charge electronic devices and make sure that they are plugged into surge protectors
• Tune in to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
• Follow the advice of your local emergency management officials.

What to do if the lights go out

If you lose power during an emergency situation, remember to report all outages and downed wires to Pepco at 1-877-737-2662, online at Pepco.com, or by downloading our mobile app at Pepco.com/mobileapp.  If you or a family member rely on life-supporting equipment, make plans to relocate to a location with power as soon as it is safe to move.

Lastly, stay away from downed power lines and treat them as if they are energized, and steer clear of utility crews working in the street. For more information about emergency preparedness, I encourage you to visit: Ready.gov.

Have a safe and enjoyable fall season.

Mike Nappi
Supervisor, Safety Services