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Public Safety

San Diego County Urges Residents To Complete Public Safety Power Shutoff Survey

Power lines in Bankers Hill are shown in this photo, Aug. 31, 2017.
KPBS Staff
Power lines in Bankers Hill are shown in this photo, Aug. 31, 2017.

The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services on Wednesday asked all county residents to fill out a survey about the Public Safety Power Shutoff program.

PSPS is a prevention program sponsored by San Diego Gas & Electric to reduce the potential for utility-related wildfires. SDG&E will temporarily shut off power to customers in specific areas when wind speed, vegetative moisture, temperature and humidity create a high risk for wildfires.

Stakeholder and community feedback on PSPS is critical to advancing public safety, county officials said.

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RELATED: How Power Shutoffs Prevent California Wildfires

Over the past few years, surveys and public workshops have yielded new ideas on how to keep communities and customers safe from wildfires and other disasters, and how to mitigate the impacts of PSPS events.

Those who choose to include their email address in the survey will be invited to attend a virtual PSPS workshop later this year. The workshop will include a review of the survey results, and an opportunity to provide additional feedback on current efforts.

The survey will be available until July 13, and all county residents are encouraged to provide feedback and ideas on how to mitigate the impacts of PSPS events.

Additional information on how to prepare for and deal with a power outage is available at readysandiego.org/power-outage.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.