LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With Pacific Gas and Electric Co. considering conducting another public safety power shutoff from Oct. 26 through 28 due to a strong wind event, Lake County’s Public Health officer is recommending community members be prepared.

Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said preparation for the shutoffs is very important, especially if you are medically fragile. If you have major medical needs, it may be a good idea to leave the area to visit friends and family until the power comes back on.

Remember, get the essentials stockpiled before the power shuts off.

Medications:

· Many pharmacies were closed during recent events. Last time, only Lake, Lucerne and Moran’s Pharmacies were open.

· Keep at least a seven-day supply of essential medications in the house. Refill any medications that are low before the power goes out.

· If your pharmacy is closed, other pharmacies may be able to provide a small supply, or you may need to go out of the area to fill your prescription. Take your prescription bottle with you.

Medical equipment, especially oxygen:

· People who are dependent on electricity due to their medical condition should sign up with PG&E for their “Medical Baseline” program. Sign up at www.pge.com.

· If you are oxygen dependent, you need to have a plan before the power goes out: Consider going to stay with family or friends out of the area who have power; get a properly installed generator, if possible; during the day, you can go to the community resource center to plug in your equipment; fill extra tanks to give some reserve; contact your medical equipment provider if you have questions.

· Other equipment – CPAP, motorized scooters, nebulizers all require power and need similar planning as oxygen.

· For more ideas, check out: https://prepareforpowerdown.com/.

Hospitals and nursing homes:

· During the last outage, both hospitals were running on generators, but with some limitations in x-ray services.

· All three nursing homes were open and running on generators.

Outpatient medical providers:

· All outpatient clinics were closed throughout the last event.

· If you need some medical guidance, try calling your provider. No answer? Try calling your insurance company since some have on-call nurses to answer questions. Resources include Partnership HealthPlan, 24/7 call number: 866-778-8873. For other insurance: check your insurance card for advice numbers. Last event, both Sutter and Adventist hospitals had call centers open to answer medical questions for their patients.

· If you are having a medical emergency, go to the emergency room or call 911.

· Behavioral Health: If you are feeling significantly stressed, Lake County Behavioral Health has a 24 hour hotline: 1-800-900-2075.

Community resource centers:

· These were created by PG&E for people to come and plug in their devices, get bottled water, and other basic services. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Locations yet to be announced. CalOES’ Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOES/, publishes lists of these center location as available. You do not need to have a Facebook profile to access this valuable information.

General concerns:

· Gasoline/propane. Most suppliers were closed, people should fill their tanks before the power goes out.

· Food. Most grocery stores and restaurants were closed, so get food before the shutdown. If you do not have, a way to keep food cold, purchase non-perishables like canned and packaged goods. Use frozen gallon jugs of water or ice to help keep food cold and prevent spoilage. “When in doubt, throw it out.”

· Water. People on wells with electric pumps may be without water. Fill bathtubs or other storage tanks prior to the event.

· Temperature regulation. Electric heating and cooling may not work. Plan ahead to keep comfortable, especially when elders and children are in the house.

Additional information is available at PG&E’s Web site and Twitter pages (you do not need to join Twitter to access), the Lake County Sheriff’s Office site and the county of Lake.