For the safety of our team members and customers, Peoples Gas works year-round implementing training as part of an extensive emergency preparedness plan so that team members stand ready to respond in the case of a real-life emergency.
Each preparedness drill and exercise has a different focus and can simulate anything from a natural disaster to a terrorist attack. The goal is to simulate scenarios that will allow our team members to improve at a steady rate, working their way to a more complex scenario. These exercises take place throughout Florida and allow team members to practice their response to an emergency.
A planning team made up of a variety of team members develops each exercise using a set of guidelines by FEMA (link) Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Clear, well-defined objectives are created based upon these principles, as well as lessons learned from past events, to guide the exercise participants’ responses and help identify areas of improvement.
Each exercise is documented thoroughly by exercise evaluators and through participant feedback forms following the conclusion. Participating team members are expected to respond as they normally would during a real-life event but are encouraged to problem solve outside the box by thinking of alternate solutions.
“Drills and training are vital to staying prepared,” said Emily Peterson, coordinator of emergency management for Peoples Gas. “By doing this, we are not only able to validate our current plans, strengths, and areas of improvement, but we are also able to discover new strategies and technology to research and invest in.”
Along with the drills and exercises, Peoples Gas makes investments in state-of-the-art technology such as our Gas Control Center, to monitor the safety and status of the natural gas system 24 hours a day, and the mobile command center that can travel to impacted areas to be a temporary workspace during restoration activities.
Communities throughout Florida rely on our readiness in the event of a storm and depend on us to respond successfully to every emergency. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30 and, though severe weather cannot be planned, you can prepare now in the event of an emergency. For preparedness tips visit PeoplesGas.com/StormSafety.
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