A Power Crisis!
Rolling blackouts have begun and it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better. Here is some information you need.
Emergency managers have been announcing that they won't reveal the locations of the next blackout area "so as to not alert burglars where the lights and alarm systems will be out". NOT SO! Well, maybe the lights, but not the alarm systems. North American - along with the vast majority of reputable alarm companies - HAVE NEVER sold a modern alarm system without a standby power supply. Sorry, they are just plain WRONG on that one.
Concerned clients may wish to purchase additional backup supplies, but the 1 to 2 hour blackouts should be handled by our systems with ease. The only exception to this might be clients who own their systems and have not had their batteries changed in over 3 years. Purchase new backup supplies today.
There are 14 blackout "blocks". These are not city blocks, but "blocks" of circuits to be turned off. As of March 20, 2001 blocks 1 to 13 have been shut off. Part of 14 was taken down, so rolling blackouts will resume with the remainder of block 14 and continue with block #1.
Some electric customers don't have a rotating outage block. They're located in phantom block 50. They are located on a circuit serving a police station, fire station or exempt hospital and will not be turned off deliberately. FINALLY, A GOOD REASON TO LIVE NEXT TO A FIRE HOUSE! Well, the second, actually!
The central station is equipped with a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) that takes over within a microscopic fraction of a second of a power fluctuation or failure. The computers never see the break. At the same time "Colt", our 50 KW generator, automatically starts and takes over supplying power. If - for any reason - "Colt" fails or fumbles during a power crisis, the UPS again takes over while "Christopher", our 35 KW generator automatically warms up and takes the load.
Yes, the generators were named for my Sons, at a time that we thought they would never be pressed to their extreme - but we are always ready.
In the event that the entire system fails ( er... somewhat unlikely) there are individual UPS devices that will continue to supply the servers, monitoring points and receivers, while any problem with the generators is attended to. Yes, we also have battery operated lights to cover a "doomsday" scenario. The receivers can also be monitored by their own internal batteries, too.
By the way, both tanks are 100% full, quake secured and tested weekly. Portable tanks are ready to shuttle fuel from unaffected areas to our location, if needed.
Why yes, as a matter of fact, we are ready. We always are.
Info for citizens:
To prepare yourself: May I offer the same advice I have been handing out for some years regarding earthquake country?
A power failure is a mere inconvenience, not an emergency. Don't call 911 or other emergency services unless you have a real emergency.
If you consider a power failure an emergency, you should immediately get backup lights, cooking facilities or whatever you need to make a power failure a non emergency. A propane barbecue with a side burner might be ideal.
In the event that a power failure might cause a life safety emergency, you MUST be equipped for a power failure at any time - on your own. This is without thinking about which rotating block you are on.
Fire and Police Stations are on "uninterruptible" circuits. Still, they maintain battery backups, generators at the ready and manual door releases. There is no excuse for your personal situation. If you NEED power to live, you must be able to have - or make - your own, from several sources.
Some solar panel and battery systems have been developed for residential use, and are quite impressive.
Candles are a poor choice for backup lighting. Just what you don't need - a house fire when the water pumps have no power. Get some battery operated lanterns and flashlights.
Oh, and thanks for getting your security system from us. It's times like these that I'm glad that we never compromised our principles: do the best! I'm sure we'll be getting calls from other alarm company's clients, in fact - we already have!
Conservation: There IS a need for conservation of electric power and I see damned little of it in the field. This is particularly needed between the hours of 4 and 8 PM. Please do your part to conserve. Still, no matter what happens, prices paid for electricity are going to jump up. Therefore, any conservation you can do is going to save you money when this emergency is finally resolved.
I have been able to slash power use where I live from over 37 KWH per day to between 10 and 17 KWH per day.
If I were in Charge: If I were in charge of PG&E, you probably wouldn't like me very much. The PG&E wanted a wholesale cap of $150 per megawatt / hour (which is 15 cents per kilowatt / hour by my calculation). Add to the base source all the power they make themselves for a lot less. That leaves plenty of money for transmission (high voltage), distribution (relatively low voltage) and delivery (the wires and folks who make all happen). They charge us 13 cents per kilowatt, and make money!
In my Fiefdom, I don't pay a penny over $150 per megawatt hour. If the power producers insist on more, they can go to heck. Let the rolling blackouts begin.
The citizens will, of course, be better prepared for emergencies and disasters than they were before.
If Intel decides that they might want to build their next assembly
Bill Cereske
An Important Issue!
Many people are adding DSL (Digital Subscriber Lines) to their phone lines for high speed access to the Internet. You need to know that DSL and ALARM SYSTEMS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE
!It is important to note that if a DSL line is connected to a phone line shared with an alarm communicator, the communicator may not function and may not report emergencies. There are 2 work arounds for this problem: Radio reporting (bypassing the phone system completely) and the installation of a special filter. Radio is available at an additional cost, and solves a host of potential problems. Filters, we have recently learned, can be installed by your DSL service provider. This applies to digital dialers from ALL alarm companies, not just ours. We just happen to be the most forthright about it.
More information, including technical details, is waiting for you at the service desk.
Your Friends at North American Alarm Company
The Service Desk is now open
for business! Find out about alarm systems in general and satisfy your
No other alarm site we know of will even discuss potential problems, but the service desk is for just that: Service.
While we hope you decide to become a client of ours, we really want you to be safe and secure in your life. Much of this information applies if you are a client, a potential client, or an alarm user far away from our service area whom we will never meet.
No matter! We want you to be safe and secure!
Is there a question that hasn't been answered yet? Send it to Bill at the home page. If it has wide enough interest, it will be answered at the service desk.
San Francisco's Favorite Alarm Company is at your service!