Crime & Safety

RMLD Ready To Deal With Blackouts Sunday

Reading Municipal Light Department offers advice on how to be prepared.

The following is an announcement from Reading Municipal Light Department:

With the anticipated winds and rain, there will likely be outages in our four-town territory. Here's an update on RMLD procedure and some information for our customers on what to do during a power outage.  Please note -- the phone information for us is very important. 

  • Don't panic! Customers should report outages or downed wires directly to our main numbers, 781-944-1340 or                781-942-6598.  Do not call direct lines of company personnel as no one will be there to answer office phones.  Customer service specialists and other personnel will answer the switchboard calls.  If customers cannot get through, please try again and be patient.  We expect a high call volume.
  • RMLD staff met this morning to discuss preparation for the storm. 
  • At this point we are treating Irene as a Category 1, with expected winds of up 30 mph at 9 a.m. Sunday and peaking at 68 mph at 2 p.m. Sunday. We will monitor the situation closely and adjust for any changes in the forecast.
  •  Line crews will report at 7 a.m. Sunday morning in anticipation of many calls from residents in Reading, North Reading, Wilmington and Lynnfield. 
  • RMLD management is communicating with the police, fire and Department of Public Works in each one of the communities. 
  • Besides line crews and troublemen, we will have runners from our management team in each of the towns to get information to and from our Control Center dispatchers about incidents and occurrences as they unfold.  Some will also remain at areas to safeguard locations from the general public until line crews can get to those areas. They will be in constant contact with our Control Center at RMLD.
  • RMLD office staff will be on hand at the RMLD office on Ash Street to answer the anticipated phone calls and analyze the problem areas, giving priority to those areas with the most customers affected.

If customers do lose their electricity, we suggest they keep an adequate supply of the following on hand (and at all times):  

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  • flashlights,
  • battery-operated radio,
  • extra supply of batteries for flashlights and radio,
  • basic first-aid supplies,
  • supply of drinking water, canned juices and soda, freeze-dried or canned food,
  • baby supplies if an infant is in the home.

Check the basement periodically for flooding.  If you are prone to flooding, a gasoline-powered pump can be used to pump out a basement or crawl space when electric sump pumps cannot be sued.  Never wade into flooded basements unless electrical sump pumps, freezers, etc. have been disconnected.  

Keep freezers and refrigerator closed.  Food will stay fresh longer if the doors are not opened.  Wrap blankets around the appliances to provide extra insulation.   Air conditioners should be turned off during powers outages.   

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Unplug appliances with electronic components, such as microwaves, television and VCRs. Do not turn them back on for several minutes after the power has been restored to eliminate damage from voltage surges when electricity is retored.   If you are using a generator, be sure it is installed and wired properly.


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