To the Editor:
As we turn the page on winter and head into spring, we can look forward to warmer temperatures and some potentially stormy weather. In a township with as many beautiful trees as we have, storms can equal power outages when those beautiful trees or parts of them, come down.
Power outages are at best, an inconvenience, and at worst, can be truly dangerous. I want our residents to know that the township stands ready to keep our residents safe during these difficult times. Here is how the township can help when your power goes out.
When the power goes out, the first thing a resident needs to do it to contact your power company to report the outage. To report an outage to JCP&L, call 1-888-544-4877, or use the subscriber portal on their website. For PSE&G, dial 1-800-436-7734, text OUT to 4PSEG or report it on the website.
While it is possible that the utility company may notify the township if there is to be a scheduled disruption in service, that communication does not always happen. A resident should always report an outage to the utility company. The township will pass along information when we receive it, but the utility company is solely responsible for notifying their customers when a problem arises.
If the outage is prolonged, and the temperatures are cold, the township building can act as a resource center for those who need a place to warm up and water to drink. With a majority of our residents dependent upon wells, which require electricity, access to water becomes an issue during outages. Residents can come to the township building or our other designated shelter locations if the emergency is widespread to warm up and fill bottles of water to take back home.
If you see a power line dangling or on the ground, assume it is live. This is something that you should stay away from, and should call our emergency services to report. They will come assess the situation and make sure that the area is kept safe. The Office of Emergency Management can help the utility company identify dangerous situations so they can be corrected as quickly as possible.
Both major utility companies hold phone calls for elected officials during emergencies. These calls are used mainly for them to get information out to a large group of people quickly, though there is an opportunity for questions too. Each municipality has an assigned point of contact. During emergencies, it is up to the utility company employee to be responsive to the official calling. We can and do pass along information we receive from our residents, but it is up to the utility to respond to our complaints.
If you feel that your utility provider has not provided high quality service, you may file a complaint or request a formal hearing with the Board of Public Utility. There are easy to find links on the landing page of the website. A resident can also call 1-800-624-0241 to speak to someone at the Board.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with our JCP&L representative. I outlined some easy steps that they could take to improve communication with their residents. In addition, I pushed to add our local Shop Rite on Rt. 31 to the list of places where affected residents can pick up bottled water and ice when an outage occurs. I have also had good conversations with our contact person from PSE&G. I am a firm believer that building relationships is a good way to solve and prevent problems and commit to continuing to work to keep communication lines open.
I am looking forward to the warmer temperatures and gentle breezes that spring brings. If the weather sends us something more challenging, Hopewell Township is ready to help keep our residents warm and safe.
Kristin L. McLaughlin
Mayor
Township of Hopewell
These thoughts are my own and do not reflect those of the full committee.