ZZZZap! The lights go out, Now what?

Please resist the urge to call 9-1-1.
The dispatchers have no better idea than you as to why the power is out. Chances are, they too are affected by the outage. It gets really busy in the communications center during power outages.

• Officers have to be deployed to key intersections to help ensure drivers are stoping at the intersections.
• Officers fan out into the neighborhoods to ensure criminals don't take advantage of the situation.
• You should call P.G.&. E.'s 24-hour information line on electric outages at 1-800-743-5002. Many people call the police department, often on 9-1-1,  asking questions as to when power will be restored and the lights will come back on. In most cases, we don't know either! More importanly, tying up a 9-1-1 line to get information is illegal. 9-1-1 is to be used to report urgent crimes or life and death situations.

General Safety during a power outage

• Do not call 9-1-1 to ask about the power outage.
• Listen to the news radio stations in your area for updates
• Use extreme caution when driving. If traffic signals are out, treat them as a stop sign - come to a complete stop at every intersection and look before you proceed. Let the person on the right have the right-of-way.
• Use flashlights instead of candles to reduce fire hazards.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to prevent food spoilage. Food should stay frozen for about one full day, and fresh in the refrigerator for about four hours.
• Turn off major electric appliances that were on when the power went off. This will help to prevent power surges when electricity is restored.

After an Outage

• Wait a few minutes before turning on major electric appliances. This will help eliminate problems that could occur if there's a sharp increase in demand immediately after power is restored.
• If you think that electric power has been restored to your area but your home is still without power, call Pacific Gas and Electric Company at 1-800-743-5000 for information.