Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Potential Public Safety Power Shutoff Warning through Jan. 20

Even though SCE has provided a window for when a PSPS is most likely, our Office of Emergency Management is recommending that people be prepared to endure a power outage lasting 5-7 days, which means the following: keeping your cell phone and portable chargers charged, keeping your gas tank full or your electric vehicle fully charged, have flashlights and other lighting devices ready, have a hand crank or battery-operated radio to tune into these listed stations to receive updates, have 5-7 days’ worth of non-perishable food, and one gallon of water per person per day.

We hope that all residents are aware that the state of California has implemented this program which allows utility companies to shut off power in high fire hazard areas that they determine to be at risk due to current weather conditions. In the 1st District our residents receive power from SCE in the South County and PG&E in the Cuyama Valley (PG&E has confirmed that PSPS is not being considered for their service territory at this time). SCE and PG&E make their own determination about where and when to shut off the power. The locations and times can change at any time due to changes in weather conditions.

For more information, and to determine if your home or workplace is being considered for PSPS, go to www.sce.com/wildfire/psps or call SCE at 1-800-655-4555. Stay tuned by signing up for alerts with SCE or PG&E, and at ReadySBC for local government notifications. It is the very best way you can stay informed which can be critical to many residents.

IMPORTANT: If you, a loved one, or anyone you know, is dependent on electricity to survive (meaning they require an oxygen tank or any other life saving device), here is critical information:

Individuals dependent on a life saving device that requires electricity need to enroll in their electricity provider’s Medical Baseline Program. This will result in a discount on your electricity bill in the amount that it costs to keep your life saving device going. Enrollment in the program is how both PG&E and SCE will identify those dependent on electricity.

Here is how you sign up for the Medical Baseline Program:

1. Fill out the application
2. Take the application to your medical provider (also call your medical provider because they may already have these applications in their office)
3. Mail the application to the address on the bottom

If you live north of the Gaviota Tunnel, your electricity provider is PG&E. South of the Gaviota Tunnel, your provider is Southern California Edison.

Southern California Edison Medical Baseline Application

PG&E Medical Baseline Application

Santa Barbara County Information for Persons Dependent on Electricity

For more information about the Public Safety Power Shutoff program, please visit this library of information:

County of Santa Barbara Preparing for Public Safety Power Shutoff

County of Santa Barbara Public Safety Power Shutoff Bilingual Fact Sheet

Southern California Edison Public Safety Power Shutoff Page (1-800-655-4555)

PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff Info Page (1-866-743-6589)

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) De-Energization (PSPS) Page

Red Flag Warning Information

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a High Wind Watch and Red Flag Warning for most of Santa Barbara County effective late tonight through Wednesday morning. A Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and strong winds are expected and combined can contribute to increased risk of fire danger. Red flag warnings is the highest alert for extreme fire risk and it is critical that every person avoid hazardous activities that may cause sparks or start a wildfire. This means: no mowing or timing dry grass on a Red Flag Warning Day and avoid any open flame outdoors, such as a BBQ or campfire. More information is available at https://weather.gov/lox/. For more reminders and safety tips, visit: https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/communications/red-flag-warnings-fire-weather-watches/

In the meantime, if you have been a patient at Cottage, Sansum, and some other medical providers, they may be reaching out to those who are eligible in the coming days. You can also sign up for vaccine updates from our County Public Health at https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/