SAN DIEGO, Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
San Diego city and county
officials, along with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E),
shared emergency preparedness plans and outreach efforts aimed at
ensuring the needs of the county's most vulnerable residents are
met before the next round of intense El Niño storms. Meteorologists
are predicting that there could be another 60 days of rain activity
leading to flooding, among other hazards.
"Being prepared for storms of this magnitude is critical," said
Toni Atkins, California Assembly
Speaker. "San Diego officials and
businesses like SDG&E have set a fine example by collaborating
on preparedness, response and recovery plans that will help keep
the region safe."
SDG&E purchased 10,000 "SAFELY OUT KITS" from Citizen Voice
to distribute to vulnerable members of the community such as the
elderly and those with mobility issues. The kits are complete with
materials that can be used if someone is homebound during an
emergency. Distribution of the kits has already begun through a
partnership with agencies like Elder Help, Meals-on-Wheels and
American Medical Response.
"The cooperation among our region's first responders during last
week's storms helped minimize property damage and kept San Diegans
safe. I've directed City staff to continue to take aggressive
action to prepare our community for more severe weather," said
Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. "El Niño
is expected to bring more storms, so now is the time to prepare our
families, homes and businesses before the next rains come. I'd like
to thank SDG&E for partnering with us to help our most
vulnerable residents make sure they can weather the storms."
SDG&E also announced a donation of $70,000 to the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation
for the purchase of three emergency generators to be used at its
San Diego County disaster
shelters.
"Adding these generators will help ensure the continuation of
life-saving services when our most vulnerable residents, such as
those needing oxygen, find themselves evacuated to an emergency
shelter," said Chairman Roberts. "I want to thank SDG&E for
again stepping up to help fill a public safety need."
"With a shared vision of promoting public safety and helping
those community members who need it the most, these donations were
a natural fit for us at SDG&E," said Caroline Winn, chief energy delivery officer for
SDG&E. "We believe that providing essential materials like
these kits is another way to help first responders identity who
needs help in an emergency. It's an honor to continue to support
the Regional Fire Foundation and Citizen Voice in its mission to
foster a safer city."
To learn more about what SDG&E's doing to prepare for El
Niño, click here.
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and
reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4
million electric meters and 868,000 natural gas meters in
San Diego and southern
Orange counties. The utility's
area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to
creating ways to help customers save energy and money every
day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a
Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San
Diego. Connect with SDG&E's Customer Contact Center at
800-411-7343, on Twitter (@SDGE) and Facebook.
sdge.com
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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)