September is National Preparedness Month, and Guthrie County REC wants to reassure our members that we are prepared for all types of emergencies – no matter how routine, extraordinary or unexpected.

For electric cooperatives in Iowa, preparation plays a huge role in ensuring that our members have the electricity they need as soon as they flip a light switch or start an appliance.

When a co-op crew drives a truck into a loading bay, warehouse workers have already pulled the parts and equipment needed for that crew’s scheduled workday. When a member services representative discusses balanced billing by telephone, they’re helping a member with preparations to ease the impact of seasonal high bills.

If meteorologists call for exceptionally hot or cold weather, electric co-ops work closely with their generation and transmission cooperatives to ensure adequate supplies of electricity are reserved to meet anticipated demand.

Prepared to meet challenges
Iowa’s electric co-ops are constantly preparing for the future. Engineers and construction crews design, build and upgrade the electric system to move electricity from power plants and substations to farms, homes and businesses. All these actions prepare electric co-ops to deal with the daily challenges of meeting the electricity needs of their members.

But working together, we put in just as much effort preparing for the uncertainties posed by flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, high winds, blizzards and ice storms. Electric co-ops maintain and constantly update emergency response plans. Employees train for major events and know in advance what their primary and secondary roles would be. Electric co-ops also subscribe to mutual aid agreements. That’s why you see trucks and crews from other co-ops in your communities when major power outages occur.

We also work with state and national officials to help ensure that crews can get to your communities when they are needed and have the lodging, food and support necessary to work effectively far from home.

September may be National Preparedness Month, but Guthrie County REC is committed to being prepared every day of the year.