Emergency Preparedness: Electricity and Gas

In planning for a loss of electricity, the first thing to do is to identify all equipment that is on electrical power. This may include lights in preparation, serving, and storage areas; refrigerators and freezers; cooking equipment; dishwasher; booster heaters; outlets; elevators or dumbwaiters; and water heaters.

Next, determine which of these items are connected to the emergency generator. What emergency lighting will you have? Which outlets (if any) will work? Will you have any cooking equipment? Holding equipment? Refrigeration? Hot water?

Then it is a matter of determining how to make due without the equipment that is not on the generator. Consider incorporating some of the following into your plan.

• Refrigerator/freezer units: use food, move to other establishments, borrow refrigerated truck, allow minimum access.
• Cooking equipment: gas equipment, switch to cold menu, outside grill.
• Holding equipment: chafing dishes and sternos for hot, ice in pans for cold.
• Dishwasher: switch to disposables, disposable foil pans for cooking.
• Booster heater: chemical sanitizers.
• Outlets: ready-to-serve texture modified meals, slice by hand, manual can openers.
• Elevators: system for manual transport.
• Water heaters: heat on gas stove, chemical sanitizers.
• Lighting: flashlights with extra batteries, crank flashlights.
  

Follow the same procedure for gas equipment. Equipment may include cooking equipment and water heaters. Plans could include using electrical equipment, switching to a cold menu, alternative methods for heating water, and/or chemical sanitizers.

Also plan what to do if you lose both electricity and gas!

What other items do you have in your plans?