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Toronto Hydro reminds customers to stay emergency-ready

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 7-13

TORONTO, May 8, 2023 /CNW/ - Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) is May 7–⁠13 and Toronto Hydro is reminding customers of the importance of staying emergency-ready year-round.

Emergencies, such as extreme weather events, can happen at any time and have the potential to cause multiple and extended power outages. In the event of an outage, it's important for customers to be as prepared as possible in order to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and comfortable while crews work to address safety issues and restore power.

The theme for this year's EP Week is Be Prepared: Know Your Risks. To help customers stay emergency-ready and avoid the risks associated with emergencies such as power outages, Toronto Hydro is sharing the following safety tips:

• Build or restock a 72-hour emergency kit with water and non-perishable food items for all members of your household; first aid items and medications; and basic tools and supplies such as a flashlight, extra batteries and a fully charged mobile phone
• Remember to customize your kit to your family — aging parents, young children and pets may have unique needs
• Avoid common outage safety risks, such as using generators indoors or in enclosed spaces or getting too close to downed powerlines
• If you or a loved one depend on electrically-powered medical equipment, such as a ventilator or kidney dialysis machine, remember to register for our Life Support Notification Program

For more emergency preparedness tips and resources, including our Emergency Preparedness Guide (now available in 10 languages), visit torontohydro.com/beprepared.

It's also a good idea for customers to make themselves aware of the number of online tools available to help them stay informed and connected during an extended outage. For more information, visit torontohydro.com/onlinetools.

EP Week is a national awareness initiative aimed at encouraging Canadians to take steps to become better prepared for emergencies. EP Week is supported by Public Safety Canada as well as public and private sector organizations supporting emergency preparedness at the local level. An annual event for over 25 years, it traditionally takes place during the first full week of May.

Toronto Hydro is committed to keeping customers safe at home, at work and around the city. To learn how to recognize and avoid electrical hazards, please visit torontohydro.com/safety.

"All year round, we encourage our customers to stay emergency-ready. By keeping a 72-hour emergency kit at home and knowing what online tools are available to help stay informed, customers will be better prepared to keep themselves and their families safe and comfortable in the event of an outage while our crews work to address safety issues and restore power."

• Daniel McNeil, Corporate Spokesperson, Toronto Hydro

The Corporation is a holding company which wholly owns two subsidiaries:

• Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (THESL) – distributes electricity; and
• Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc. – provides streetlighting and expressway lighting services in the city of Toronto

The principal business of the Corporation and its subsidiaries is the distribution of electricity by THESL, which owns and operates the electricity distribution system for Canada's largest city. Recognized as a Sustainable Electricity Leader™ by Electricity Canada, it has approximately 790,000 customers located in the city of Toronto and distributes approximately 18 per cent of the electricity consumed in Ontario.

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SOURCE Toronto Hydro Corporation