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Commentary


Co-ops provide mutual aid program he month


T


Chris Meyers General Manager, Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives


of


May ended as one of the wet- test months on


record. While rain soaked our soil and was a blessing to drought-stricken areas, it did not come without some baggage. Flooding,


thunderstorms, and tornadoes damaged prop- erties and infrastructures, possibly from your electric cooperative. Because co-ops serve in Oklahoma’s 77 counties, it is likely your co-op could suffer storm-related damage. When severe weather and outages occur, co- ops rely on their neighbors to help put their sys- tem back together. We refer to this coordinated effort as our “Mutual Aid Program,” which is consistent with the sixth cooperative principle, “Cooperation among Cooperatives.” The princi- ple states: “Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.” There are many examples of cooperation throughout the co-op family, but no collabora- tive effort is more critical or more visible to


members than the Mutual Aid Program. We fi rst call our neighboring co-ops and reach out farther as needed. Co-ops will operate short-handed on a temporary basis to help an- other in need. It’s not uncommon for those help- ing neighbors to come from surrounding states. When co-op resources are exhausted, contractors familiar with cooperative construction are called in to help as well. Fortunately, co-ops construct lines based on


the same construction standards. This similarity is one of the original Rural Electrifi cation Act (REA) requirements needed to obtain federal loans to build rural electric systems. The standard has been very helpful when sharing linemen across cooperative service areas. No one enjoys an outage for an extended time —including your co-op. It’s not only costly, but it is exhausting for linemen and support staff and uncomfortable for members. In Oklahoma, you can expect to have storms and outages. When it happens, we know we can count on our co-op neighbors. Regardless of the size of the disaster, a successful restoration effort is one in which power is restored as quickly as possible—without compromising the safety of members or line workers.


Being prepared is important A


Kendall Beck President, Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives


s a kid growing up in eastern Oklahoma, I always en-


joyed getting a few days off school due to weather events. I remember a few storms that caused power outages lasting from some


hours to days. During those times, I enjoyed be- ing outdoors doing things I probably shouldn’t have done, like walking on ice-laden ponds, us- ing old car hoods as sleds, and just being a kid. I don’t recall ever being concerned about when our electricity would be restored. However, at your local electric cooperative, our main goal is to keep your electricity on even in the most inclement weather. Although ‘Mother Nature’ can tear down anything we build, we still strive for perfection. In the event of an outage, your electric cooperative is pre- pared from every angle: be it by answering the phones, dispatching crews or ensuring linemen have all the materials they need to get your elec- tric power back on. However, we know it is also


4


important for our members to be prepared. Severe weather is often the cause of extended outages. Exercising preparedness both before and during those times is key. Here are a few helpful tips: ✓ Have a battery-operated radio ✓ Keep fl ashlights on hand ✓ Have water and non-perishable food ✓ Select a family member or neighbor who will come to your residence and confi rm your safety during and/or after severe weather if you cannot be reached by telephone ✓ If during an extended outage, temperatures are too cold or hot, seek shelter elsewhere To learn more about creating a preparedness plan, look up the Disaster Preparedness Plan sto- ry on Page 20 of this edition of Oklahoma Living. We can’t promise you will have electricity ev- ery time you fl ip a light switch, but we promise we will do everything we can to restore power safely and in a timely manner. During the school year, once power is restored after a storm, it is likely kids are going back to the classroom. I’m sure they enjoy their weather days off from school, just like I did.


Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Chris Meyers, General Manager Kendall Beck, President


Gary McCune, Vice-President Scott Copeland, Secretary Larry Hicks, Treasurer


Staff


Sid Sperry, Director of PR & Communications sksperry@oaec.coop


Anna Politano, Editor editor@ok-living.coop


Daniel Yates, Advertising Manager dyates@ok-living.coop


Kirbi Mills, Offi ce Manager kmills@oaec.coop


Hillary Barrow, Accountant/Offi ce Manager Asst. hbarrow@oaec.coop


Hayley Leatherwood, Multimedia Specialist hleatherwood@ok-living.coop


Alexis Mellons, Advertising Intern adintern@ok-living.coop


Taryn Sanderson, Editorial Intern intern@oaec.coop


Editorial, Advertising and General Offi ces P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154 Phone (405) 478-1455


Oklahoma Living online: www.ok-living.coop Subscriptions


$3.12 per year for rural electric cooperative members.


$6.00 per year for non-members. Cooperative Members: Report change of


address to your local rural electric cooperative. Non-Cooperative Members: Send address


changes to Oklahoma Living, P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309.


Oklahoma Living (ISSN 1064-8968),


USPS 407-040, is published monthly for consumer-members of Oklahoma’s rural electric cooperatives by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives, 2325 E. I-44 Service Road, P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309.


Circulation this issue: 320,809


Periodical postage paid at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Association of Electric


Cooperatives is a statewide service organization for the following electric cooperatives: Alfalfa, Arkansas Valley, Caddo, Canadian Valley,


Central Rural, Choctaw, Cimarron, Cookson Hills, Cotton, East Central Oklahoma, Harmon, Indian, KAMO Power, Kay, Kiamichi, Kiwash, Lake Region, Northeast Oklahoma, Northfork,


Northwestern, Oklahoma, Ozarks, People’s, Red River Valley, Rural, Southeastern, Southwest


Rural, Tri-County, Verdigris Valley, and Western Farmers Electric Cooperative.


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