Con Edison And 60 Control

[x635 4,066]

A while back, it was talked about having a Con-Ed rep @ 60 Control with a laptop during storms so 60 Control could directly and quickly interface with Con-Ed, and not have to spend the time on the tie line.

Did this ever happen, or has the "Wires Down" ETA situation improved since I last knew?

[jack10562 414]

As far as I know, it's still an ongoing, active project.

I was a part of that original "volunteer" team from ConEd, up until I retired last July. Several ConEd employees were selected, having knowledge of the electric distribution system as well as fire department operations familiarity. We were given access to a ConEd owned laptop kept in a secured supply locker provided by 60.

In the event of a widespread overhead electric system emergency, team members would mobilize and we would staff a desk by the Lieutenants area in the radio room at 60. Each team member was given security clearance to log-in to ConEd's Mainframe Emergency Control System via an encrypted VPN connection over the laptop. We would be able to generate trouble tickets electronically and monitor status of existing jobs progress in the system, in real time. We also had a special hotline number to the Electric Operations Dispatch Center to expedite crews to those locations classified as priority jobs.

In the three, some odd years I was "active" on the team, I think we were mobilized only once or twice for widespread storm damage response.

I never got the opportunity to man the post at 60 due to my work schedule during those events (I was already involved with other emergencies on my own regular rotating shift).

I firmly believe it is a great idea to have this inter-agency cooperation to facilitate communications between 60 Control and ConEd's Emergency Control Center during storm related events. Fortunately there were only a very few times the "task force" was activated since it's inception.

[helicopper 1,050]

Aren't all the utilities represented in the EOC during a major storm? Do we need a rep in the EOC and in 60-Control? What about all the communities not served by 60?

[jack10562 414]

The EOC was not necessarily activated for the typical storm that produced areas of "wires down" unless it was extreme. ConEd's Emergency Management Group (a separate management entity) would then send someone to the EOC if that was mobilized. The idea behind this was to have a liaison at 60 to assist their dispatchers with expediting crews to priority locations. Communities not served by 60 are on their own, where their dispatchers would call in their own jobs to ConEd through normal channels.

[helicopper 1,050]

The EOC was not necessarily activated for the typical storm that produced areas of "wires down" unless it was extreme. ConEd's Emergency Management Group (a separate management entity) would then send someone to the EOC if that was mobilized. The idea behind this was to have a liaison at 60 to assist their dispatchers with expediting crews to priority locations. Communities not served by 60 are on their own, where their dispatchers would call in their own jobs to ConEd through normal channels.

Gotcha.