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VANCOUVER – A unique partnership between BC Hydro and St. John Ambulance will help British Columbians better prepare for winter storms by offering St. John Ambulance "Ready Kits" at a discounted price. Customers will save twenty dollars off the regular retail price for emergency kits prepared by St. John Ambulance.

"This Emergency Preparedness initiative, in partnership with BC Hydro, is about raising emergency preparedness awareness in communities throughout British Columbia," said Larry Odegard, St. John Ambulance's CEO. "We want to focus on educating people about the importance of personal preparedness at home and in the workplace."

"A kit with the necessary supplies can make a huge difference during a power outage," said Bob Elton, BC Hydro's president and CEO. "After last year's unprecedented storm season, BC Hydro has been making significant investments to better prepare our system for outages. We are also working to increase customer awareness of what to do in case of a power outage and help people be more prepared if there is an extended outage."

The "Ready Kits" are available from participating retailers and local St John Ambulance offices and contain emergency supplies for 72 hours, including a hand-cranked flashlight and radio, a 30-piece first aid kit, three day supply of food and water (for one person), an emergency thermal blanket, a family preparedness planning guide, as well as other supplies recommended by St. John Ambulance during an outage. They also include important contact information for BC Hydro's 1 888 POWERON to report power outages and fallen lines.

In addition to a storm kit, BC Hydro recommends customers:

• Have a corded phone since most cordless phones will not work during a power outage.
• Listen to local radio for the most up to date information on restoration times.
• Call 1 888 POWERON if they spot a fallen power line. Fallen lines should never be approached and individuals should stay at least 10 metres or 33 feet back. Always assume lines and anything they are in contact with, are energized.
• Never use a gas-powered home generator or barbeque indoors as these present a serious threat of deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.

During the 2006-2007 storm season, more than 800,000 BC Hydro customers, or an estimated 1.6 million residents, experienced at least one power outage. BC Hydro has been working to improve the resiliency of the system to decrease the frequency and duration of such outages and is spending up to $250 million over the next five years to harden circuits, manage hazard vegetation around lines and improve customer communications.

For more information visit BC Hydro's website www.bchydro.com or St. John Ambulance's website www.sja.ca

BC Hydro Outage Preparation Checklist  [PDF, 85 Kb]

Contact:

Gillian Robinson Riddell

Media Relations

Phone: 604 623-4022

gillian.robinson@bchydro.com