Losing
electrical power can be a life-threating, emergency situation for
patients who rely on power-dependent equipment. For example, some
patients require respirators or kidney dialysis machines. We wanted to
share resources for power-dependent patients, such as some of our local
electricity providers offer an Emergency Medical Equipment Program.
While not all of the programs are exactly the same, most offer features
such as notification of scheduled outages, notification of severe
storms, such as hurricane warnings, and an information package sent
annually to help prepare for emergencies. Check the list below to see
if your local electricity provider offers such a program and to get more
information about program specifics.
To qualify for these programs, participants must have certification from
a licensed physician that a medical need exists. Please note, the
electrical provider cannot offer participants priority restoration, nor
does the Emergency Medical Equipment Program exempt customers from
disconnection of electric service for non-payment.