Power outage

[Mark Crnolatas]

Anyone know what happened to cause the power out in central Lkwd?
Lasted awhile.

[dl meckes]

I can't understand why such a large power outage isn't mentioned on the news.

We may get a paragraph in the paper in a few days, but a 2+ hour power outage that seemed to cover a large portion of the city seems mention worthy to me.

We were wondering, as it was going on, if anyone had a clue as to how long it was going to last.

The lights went out and we grabbed our battery powered radio/tv to get some news. We know where our flashlights are and the location of the spare batteries. We know exactly where our candles are. We know this because power outages are not rare.

Are we supposed to just shrug off the poor service we're getting? Is there some reason why FirstEnergy can't have someone call the media and tell them to report when they expect full service to be returned to affected areas?

What if a FirstEnergy customer depends on oxygen and the portable system only works for an hour?

How would a family know whether or not they should call friends with power to go spend the night so the baby stays warm?

[Mark Crnolatas]

All GREAT questions and points, dl.

I've been kicking around a concept for over a year now, Jim O is aware of, for Lakewood, but it never came to fruition. The power outage last night clicked the right buttons, and answered some questions, and altered this idea to this:

I originally wanted to form a civilian R.E.A.C.T type group, just for our city, since we (wife and I ) had the Security, and P.I. business for almost 20 yrs, backround much longer, and I've been in every aspect of those areas plus far more, and qualified in everything there is to be qualified in, including instructing.

The R.E.A.C.T type of group idea is ok, but what I see we need is a bit different.
I'll take care of those details.

I am willing to start an "Assistance" type group. Last night this "group" would have been able to take calls from people with problems, no flashlights, water, or someone elderly that need temporary assistance until
some arrangement could be made, generally a civic "help group". Again the theme is let's be good neighbors.

If anyone living in Lakewood is interested in volunteering and getting into this type of thing, has some time to dovote to it, message me in the message section of the L.O. here. Real names and phone numbers (not cell phones please).

Everything will be done properly, as I have organized several of these units in the past, both commercially and volunteer type in the past mainly in Cleveland.

What I am defining, is a civic "assistance" group, that will help people as possible. It's members will be trained, and certified by the correct entities, in certain things so again, it's all done properly.

Mark C.

[dl meckes]

Mark-

This is the mission of C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team). C.E.R.T. training is available (call the main fire station - on the non-emergency line!) and ask for Meeghan (whose name I am probably mangling - but I'm going for pronunciation rather than correct spelling).

Volunteers are needed, training is provided and integration with other West Shore cities is being explored. Training was paid for by F.E.M.A.

Kevin Galvin was heading up this program but has gone into a private sector job, so now Scott Gillis (Fire Safety) and Mary (Sidell??) a paramedic have the honors.

I'm sure the group could use someone like you.

[Mark Crnolatas]

Thanks dl, and I'm aware of the organization. I'll make a point to contact them again, however, I'm wondering if that falls within the defintion of what they do. We did not see or hear anything from that organization last night, nor any of the blackouts before this one.

I'll check it out though.

[dl meckes]

Mark-

These issues are in the process of being discussed. The policies are being formed and a system created.

The points you discussed were all part of the training for C.E.R.T.

The group has to define what it can and will do. Your involvement would be helpful.

Volunteer organizations usually take some time to get up to speed.

[Joseph Milan]

I can't understand why such a large power outage isn't mentioned on the news.

We may get a paragraph in the paper in a few days, but a 2+ hour power outage that seemed to cover a large portion of the city seems mention worthy to me.

I mentioned in a previous post some time last summer about a "news blackout" (pardon the pun) for Lakewood stories. Everyone dismissed it. My Plain Dealer early edition had nothing about this. I heard nothing on the TV or radio news this morning.

Joe

[Mark Crnolatas]

I left a message for someone to call me back from the C.E.R.T., so while I wait for a call-back, I thought I would post this: Just this morning, in fact in the past couple hours, several neighbors all agreed, that 1) No one they called, could give any answers to why it happened, and what to do about it, other than they are all going to go buy more supplies in the event it happens again, 2) When LPD was called, they seemed swamped with calls, but on the am-fm radio, nothing was said, so everyone was literally in the dark about being in the dark.

Thinking about this, it seems the local block's consensus was, we were lucky all this was, was whatever it was.

We should all be more prepared, if we can ("we" being the citizens" ).

[kate parker]

We should all be more prepared, if we can ("we" being the citizens" ).

as citizens we should be prepared not just for blackouts but for all sorts of problems. hopefully a few more times of "lights out" and more people will realize how vital it is to be prepared. a good lesson if you ask me.

[Mark Crnolatas]

It's been noted by several countries, that for our general lead in the world, in most areas of the industial and technological age, we lag seriously behind in security and preparedness. You can start naming situations in the last 20 years, and in most every case, we have acted after the fact.

When you travel in Europe, you notice that instantly, in any airport security, compared to ours. Especially noteworthy is Israel, who leads the world in many areas of security.

[Phil Florian]

Especially noteworthy is Israel, who leads the world in many areas of security.

...and they lead the world in many areas of internal strife and violence. No thanks. I want to emulate countries that don't have ongoing bombings, kidnappings and assassinations. We do well with security against that sort of thing. We handle natural or technical disasters poorly, just ask New Orleans or the NE when we had that long blackout some summers back. Less guns, more flashlights please.

This idea of having a clearing house for information and assistance is a great idea, though. I volunteered with the Red Cross when I lived in Cincinnati during the Ohio River flood back in the 90's. I worked the phone room and did some of what Mark was suggesting. Took calls from people wanting information and we were an information hub. We found out where all the food banks were, temporary shelters, hooked families up to each other, knew the danger zones (as best as we could, of course, as that changed a lot), and so on. It would be nice to have something similar at a local level that was up and running all the time.

Maybe someone can post the minutes that this group puts together as they build up? Mark? Someone?

[Charyn Varkonyi]

I would point out that the fact that there was no mention on the news of a blackout in Lakewood is not surprising.

I lived in Parma and worked in Middleburg Heights and BOTH areas were far worse in terms of number and durantion of blackouts. To the best of my recollection, there was never any mention on the news about these blackouts unless they affected several cities.

So, unfortunately, we can assume that we are not being singled out - it is just that EVERYONE gets lousy service.

Peace,
~Charyn

[Mark Crnolatas]

Phil and dl and others,
I did call and leave a message with C.E.R.T., so far, havn't got a call back. I'll find out if what we're talking about here, and see if it fits in with what is going on with them. According to dl, it does, so we'll see.

I've formed many of these type groups in Cleveland, separate entities, but in Cleveland, the attitude is "the more, the better", basically, as long as it's done right and not acting like a bunch of "wannabees".

If, after a bit, either the people heading up CERT, do not call back, or if their mission goals are different, then we can do this "assistance" thing. I would think the powers to be in the city woudn't mind, again, as long as it's correctly done, and especially since now it would more of an ASSIST type group rather than a "watch" group.

We'll see how it goes.

[dl meckes]

Mark-

Don't give up if you don't hear right back.

This project is still in its infancy and the volunteer steering committee has met once. I volunteered one of the people on it (& I'll ask him when he gets home). DH & I went through the training together.

[Mark Crnolatas]

General info on C.E.R.T. ... I did hear back from C.E.R.T., and since they are past their 3rd class of the required training, I believe, anyone else will need to wait till the next class.
This will be sometime in end of summer, or maybe in the summer.