MAYS LANDING, N.J. (June 2, 2016) - Atlantic City Electric (ACE), in partnership with the Cape May County Office of Emergency Management, held an Emergency Preparedness Conference June 1 in Avalon, N.J., to share important storm preparedness messaging with the public in advance of hurricane season, which runs June 1 through November 30.

"It's very important that residents have an emergency plan in place before a storm occurs. Now is the time to prepare," said Andrew Sykes, manager, Emergency Management, Atlantic City Electric, who provided an overview of how Atlantic City Electric prepares for extreme weather events, offered details on the company's restoration process and priorities and discussed ways the company communicates to its customers during a storm. 
 
"Residents should also heed any warnings from their local emergency management officials and assemble an emergency storm kit in the event of an extended power outage," Sykes explained. ACE provides a "Weathering the Storm Fact Sheet" that can be downloaded from its website atlanticcityelectric.com. 

Martin L. Pagliughi, director, Cape May County Office of Emergency Management, discussed emergency management partnerships, the role of critical support agencies and how each agency's emergency personnel are critical in assisting with a disaster or emergency situation. 

"It's not 'if' a storm will come, it's 'when' and we learned that lesson during Hurricane Sandy.  Having a plan in place for yourself, your family, your pets and your property will help when the next storm arrives," said Pagliughi. Additional information is available at capemaycountyemergency.net. 

Other presenters included meteorologist Dan Skeldon, who provided an outlook on the projected 2016 hurricane season, and Scott Wahl, business administrator, Borough of Avalon, who provided an overview on ways communities can disseminate critical information during an emergency or weather event. 

Organizations in attendance also included the American Red Cross Southern Shore Chapter and Salvation Army. For information on available resources offered through these organizations, 
visit redcross.org and newjersey.salvationarmy.org. For more information about how to care for your pets in a storm-related evacuation or other emergency, visit www.readypetsgo.com.

Atlantic City Electric encourages residents to assemble an emergency kit that can be used at home and, if necessary, taken with them if they're ordered to evacuate. Each kit should include a flashlight, battery-powered clock and radio, extra batteries, non-perishable food, manual can opener, bottled water and a list of important phone numbers. All items can be placed into a large cooler which is easy to grab if a person has to leave home quickly. 

Atlantic City Electric also cautions that if a portable generator is needed, it should be properly installed and operated to ensure safety. Generators can energize downed wires, and contact with a downed wire could be fatal if the wire is energized. It's very important for residents to stay away from any downed electric wires. 

Customers should call 1-800-833-7476 to report outages or to report a downed wire. Our mobile app is available at atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp.

For information about Atlantic City Electric, visit atlanticcityelectric.com. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/atlanticcityelectric and on Twitter at twitter.com/acelecconnect.