Urgent Messages

Preparation for a Power Shutoff

Below is important information about how to help your patients during a power outage. The list below includes tools to help you help your patients with refrigerated medications and electrical medical equipment. It also provides resources to help you create a disaster preparedness plan for your facility. 

Tools to Respond

1. Get information on the shutoff, including a list of Community Resource Centers. You may also contact the California Health and Human Services hotline for information on resources available to medically vulnerable residents; their number is: 833-284-3473.
   
2. If your patients depend on refrigerated medications or use an electricity-dependent device, please review this Quick Guide for information and key HPSM contacts.
   
3. Get information on Managing Durable Medical Equipment In Disasters
   
4. See information about how dialysis centers and providers treat ESRD patients during disasters.
   
5. Get information about best practices during loss of utilities. 
   

Additional resources on medication handling:

• Stability of Refrigerated Medications 
  
• Insulin Storage and Product Switching in an Emergency 
  

Tools to Prepare

1. Prepare Your Facility for Power Outages
   
2. Incident Planning Guide - a useful tool to prepare for utility failure
   
3. Dialysis Facility Disaster Plan Checklist
   
4. Additional resources on emergency preparedness