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Attendees of Wednesday's open house got to go inside an Ameren Illinois storm trailer, one of eight in its fleet that are stocked with critical supplies that enable crews to safely and efficiently restore power after a storm.
Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Ameren Illinois’ Maryville Operating Center played host to an assortment of safety agencies from around the Metro East on Wednesday.
“We wanted to give everyone who attended a behind-the-scenes look at how our team prepares for and responds to storms and other utility emergencies,” said Brian Bretsch, public and media relations manager for the utility.
“We had interactive displays set up, each with a subject matter expert to explain the equipment and answer any questions," he said. "As a bonus, there were opportunities to give visitors rides in a bucket truck to see the equipment from a birds-eye perspective. It's been several years since we hosted such an event.”
He said Ameren decided to take all of their equipment in the area — things they would need in the event of a gas leak or a power outage — and consolidate it in Maryville. Wednesday was an opportunity for Ameren officials to explain how they respond to such events and offer a bit of a networking for area public safety agencies.
“This was a great opportunity for emergency response personnel, public utilities and private industry to get together and learn about each other,” said Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford. “There are resources and equipment owned by each of these that can be used to help each other during emergencies. Having an opportunity to see some of Ameren’s equipment helps me better understand what their capabilities are. You have to know what they have before you can know to call them.”
In almost every emergency, either Ameren field personnel or first responders arrive to a scene and have to reach other entities for help, Bretsch said. For example, police or fire contact Ameren to de-energize power lines or transformers or to turn off the flow of natural gas.
Bretsch said that within the first 12 to 24 hours after an emergency, Ameren official do damage assessment on what is needed to correct the issue. If they decide in-house assets are not enough, they reach out to regional utility partners such as Com-Ed or Ameren Missouri for assistance.
Recent examples include the 2006 derecho that impacted parts of the Metro East and much of the St. Louis Metropolitan area that summer and the 2006 ice storm that hit the same areas six months later. Bretsch said the storms forced Ameren and other utilities to alter their responses to such events, including tree trimming around power lines and poles.
There also are mutual-aid agreements in place for even bigger events or disasters, should they occur, connecting utility companies in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky Missouri and Iowa.
“The event today was a great opportunity to see the available resources and equipment that Ameren Illinois can provide and respond during emergency situations and events,” said Maryville Fire Chief George May. “The ability to meet and plan for these situations prior to them happening always allows for a much safer and rapid response.”
“These types of events are very important,” said Maryville Police Chief Rob Carpenter. “It’s good for first responders to be made aware of the kind of equipment Ameren has available as well as the capabilities of the equipment in case an emergency happens. By hosting an open house such as this, Ameren is thinking outside the box. It is way better to be well informed on Ameren’s role and solutions before a gas or electric incident occurs, rather than to try and find out what help is available after an emergency has already happened.”
Attending agencies included Maryville Fire and Police departments; Maryville Water; Maryville Village Staff; Alhambra Fire Department; Madison County Emergency Management Agency; Madison County Health Department; Phillips 66’s Wood River Refinery; Illinois State Police; Marathon Pipeline Company; East Alton Fire Department; Collinsville Fire Department; Edwardsville Fire Department; the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA); the U.S. EPA; Wood River Fire Department; and Kinder Morgan energy infrastructure.
