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Needed: Flashlights

What happens in a business office at the beginning of a power outage? Overhead lights snap off. Dim emergency lights turn on in the hallways as you sit in the near dark, trying to decide if the lights will come back on quickly. Flashlights (real ones) are very useful.

By Guy Robertson

Guy Robertson is a senior planner at TMC and an instructor at the Justice Institute of BC and Langara College. He has written five books and numerous articles on corporate security and disaster planning, and offered workshops and lectures at conferences across North America and in the UK.

Expect Outages

In North America the risk of an outage is higher than that of a fire, bomb threat, or earthquake. Considering the recent warnings of civil authorities about the

potential for regional grid failures, we would be wise to prepare for them.

Ignoring the risk is not an adequate response.

Outages can be due to different causes. High winds and winter storms damage power lines and poles. Floods and forest fires disrupt power transmission across regions and lead to prolonged outages.

Sabotage of power supplies is another possibility. And every week across Canada, a driver loses control of his or her vehicle, rams a power pole, and sinks an entire neighbourhood into temporary darkness.

The First Minutes

Sound levels drop as heating and air conditioning lose power. Lighting and computer screens flicker, then die.

Emergency lighting systems provide low

-level lighting in hallways and stairwells.

One hears expressions of dismay as

people realize the implications. A courier at the reception desk complains that he can’t read the delivery information on the labels of packages. A call for help issues from the

provide an adequate level of illumination.

The Flashlight

Every business and residence should have a supply of flashlights. These should be stored in conspicuous locations - at the reception desk, in staff rooms, emergency cupboards, in staff washrooms, and if possible—

mounted on walls.

Flashlights really come in handy while people wait to hear if they should go home. Once the go-home order is

made, flashlights help people collect their possessions and secure the office before leaving.

Every three months, a clerical assistant or custodian should be assigned the task of making sure that all flashlights work. A good supply of spare batteries should also be available.

Looking Ahead

If predictions of climate change are correct, then we can expect frequent storms and grid failures, and we should prepare for what some emergency

planners refer to as the New Dark Ages.

Happily, most outages will be brief, and lead to nothing worse than spoiled food in staff room fridges and temporary closures. Longer outages might result in IT failures, data loss and injuries.

Nevertheless a few simple preparations can prepare you and your office for any sort of outage. Walk around your office and look for flashlights and spare batteries. Would they be easy to find in a power outage?

If you’d like to comment on this article or explore these ideas further, contact me at .

This article was published in the November 2021 edition of The TMC Advisor
- ISSN 2369-663X Volume:8 Issue:5

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