SMECO’s team stays prepared for crises
Keeping the lights on requires planning, coordination, and communication
SMECO faced an unprecedented crisis. First came a heat wave that strained the electric grid across Maryland and 12 other states. To avoid massive blackouts, the cooperative followed the grid operators’ instructions and implemented voltage reductions and rolling outages. Next, a severe thunderstorm took out many power lines in Southern Maryland, and SMECO lost automated communication with one of its switching stations. In the midst of restoring the storm damage to the electric system, high winds toppled a crane in the storage yard. The accident injured several employees, rendered many stored transformers unusable, and caused oil leaks from the units.
Wait, what?
Actually, none of that happened. Those events represent the types of simulations that SMECO creates in its annual emergency drills. During each drill, dozens of employees participate in a tabletop exercise designed to evaluate the cooperative’s readiness for real-life emergencies. The simulated crises determine how well SMECO’s established procedures would keep the power flowing.
Hurricane-force winds toppled a tree onto a SMECO utility pole
Hurricane-force winds toppled a tree onto a SMECO utility pole
A new plan for emergencies
Two years ago, SMECO upgraded its emergency response plan to match federal standards for organizing responses to threats.
The incident command system (ICS) concept originated following catastrophic wildfires in California in the 1970s. Communications and management problems among numerous agencies had hampered the fight against the disasters. ICS creates a simple command structure with each person reporting to only one supervisor for the duration of the emergency. All participating groups use a single set of incident action plans and a shared terminology.
Law enforcement agencies later adopted ICS for crime scenes and other incidents. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security made the ICS approach the standard for all government agencies.
Better coordination and communication
Jason Scott, SMECO’s preparedness and security director, saw ICS in action when he was a Maryland state trooper. He used his experience to lead the adoption of the concept at the cooperative. The result was a comprehensive emergency response program (CERP), a collection of procedures for numerous crises: pandemics, cybersecurity threats, system and data recovery, business continuity, and storms that can damage electric facilities.
“The incident command structure is a widely recognized and utilized framework for managing incidents, emergencies, and disasters. It provides a standardized approach to command, control, and coordination of resources during events,” Scott said. “For us, the structure defines a clear chain of command with designated roles and responsibilities. This hierarchy ensures that communication flows through the proper channels and that everyone knows who they report to and who they should communicate with. Clear lines of authority help prevent information gaps and enable efficient decision-making.”
Crews repair electric facilities following severe thunderstorms
Crews repair electric facilities following severe thunderstorms
The CERP command structure separates the functions for planning, operations, logistics, and finance that SMECO normally bases in different departments. In an emergency, the manager for logistics would need to ensure that supplies, buildings, and vehicles are adequate for the cooperative’s response needs. So for the duration, the managers of the facilities and transportation areas would report to the logistics manager.
Besides ensuring that relevant information goes up the chain of command where it’s needed, the approach also provides easier coordination with county governments during emergencies.
“The Southern Maryland counties use the ICS structure. If we had to link up with any of the counties, we could send them one of our employees for a planning session and we can include one of theirs in our planning, and both would be able to understand the terminology,” Scott said.
Testing the emergency plan
SMECO’s first test of the revamped emergency plan involved more than 80 employees in a tabletop exercise. They faced simulated challenges to the cooperative’s ability to deliver reliable electric service. The employees who were designated as section chiefs held regular meetings to review the overall situation. Drill organizers also staged a mock press conference, with the chiefs taking questions from employees playing reporters.
After each emergency drill, SMECO collects feedback from the participants and reviews what lessons they learned. The cooperative then makes changes to the emergency plan where appropriate.
By reviewing and testing its response procedures, SMECO makes sure that when emergencies happen in real life, it can respond swiftly to keep the power flowing to Southern Maryland.
Built with Shorthand