OTTAWA COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — For days, public safety officials in West Michigan have been working the National Weather Service meteorologists and utility company officials to gauge the affect the incoming storm will have on this area. (Listen to the complete interview in this podcast.)
Ottawa County Emergency Manger Nick Bonstell said planning ahead won’t hurt anyone. In the last series of storms, some Ottawa County residents lost power for three days. He said having a plan for coping without power for three days is a good idea.
“If you prepare for three days and you’re only out for three hours, well, that just means you’re that much more prepared,” he said.
He recommended area residents make sure they have a back-up plan, if they need to spend the night other than at home — with relatives or at a hotel — and keep their cellphones charged.
“When you go to bed on Saturday,” he said. “They should be charged. They’ve become a critical tool.”
Last year, his office launched a Facebook page, Ottawa County Emergency Management, at facebook.com/OttawaEM, which is used to broadcast information.
Bonstell also encouraged people, especially those with medical conditions or equipment dependent on an electrical source, to sign up for Smart911 (smart911.com) — people can put the app on their phone, helping public safety officials quickly locate people who need to be moved to a place with electric services during power outages.
The main advice Bonstell offers for those who are preparing for a power outage is to keep generators at least 25 feet away from buildings (about two car lengths), to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
He said other alternative heat sources should be used with care. He said people shouldn’t use ovens to heat a home, because they aren’t designed to run 24-7 and one of two things will happen: either the equpment will fail, he said, or it will start a fire.
