GOOD WORKS
know what’s going on. Pick up the phone and talk to the people on the ground on a regular basis. Communication was critical. -Nathan Carter, P.Eng. Teamwork Keep a level head and rely on a large team. Work with others so you aren’t missing something. There’s a lot going on and pressure to move faster. Rely on other professionals for help. Without those adequate checks and resources, you have a higher potential for something to go wrong. -Ryan Germaine, P.Eng. and logistics groups travelled to Fort McMurray to help during the crisis. “They came from all over the province. They were tired and sleeping at camps. Some had lost their homes. But there they were, pulling together, making sure the lights stayed on and our people were safe,” says Mr. Goguen. Countless others provided support from Edmonton, Calgary, and other com- munities. “I would describe it as a fierce determination to prevail and rebuild,” says Mr. Carter. early June, all damaged and destroyed poles had been repaired or replaced. When resi- dents began returning, the lights were on in all parts of the city that were safe to inhabit. One of the biggest jobs throughout the crisis was managing risk. “We had to always be evaluating con- tingencies, watching for possible scenarios and preparing for the potential loss of a critical piece of infrastructure,” says Mr. Goguen. For example, electricity was main- tained to industrial sites in and around Fort McMurray, but plans were in place to allow for controlled shutdowns if needed. ATCO also worked closely with the Alberta Electric System Operator to ensure the fire didn’t impact the stability and reli- ability of the electrical grid in the northeast part of the province. THAT’S THE SPIRIT In all, more than 650 ATCO employees from its natural gas, electricity, and structures
causing significant damage on the south. Repairing the remote site was one of the team’s biggest challenges. Electricity was still flowing, though at one point the line had to be de-energized so fire crews could spray retardant over the growing blaze, says Mr. Goguen, who over- saw the electricity crisis management team. “Because of how active the fire was and the fact that the fire came back through the area a couple of times, it took several attempts by helicopter and by ground to get a full understanding of how much damage was done to our infrastructure,” he says. To get to the site, crews had to tra- verse creeks and coulees for about eight kilometres. Then they had to build several temporary bridges across the Horse River for trucks and equipment. It took 10 days and several thousand access mats before crews could start repairs. “One pole of the 14-kilovolt line was so badly damaged crews used the boom of a digger truck to keep it propped up for several days,” says Mr. Goguen. “We knew we needed to keep the power flowing as this was a critical line feeding the Parson’s Creek substation.” At the time, Parson’s Creek was providing electricity to most of the city, since fire had damaged the two other substations that feed the city. It took almost 30 days to complete the work at the Athabasca River crossing. Crews were also working on other repairs in and around Fort McMurray. Electricity was restored to 90 per cent of the community by the third week of May. By
to maintain electrical service to these locations as best we could,” explains Paul Goguen, P.Eng., Senior Vice President and General Manager for ATCO Electric’s transmission and distribution divisions. Of course, the shifting fire had its own plans. Flames ended up damaging 50 kilometres of power lines and 560 poles. In total, nearly 1,000 assets needed to be repaired or replaced. The fluidity of the situation forced crews to be quick on their toes. “We had to plan and strategize while the emergency was happening,” says Mr. Hari. “Engineers need to be critical thinkers, and that was how we approached this event. Honestly, being in the emergency operations centre felt like being in an exam every day, all day.” The pressure was often intense. “Something is always hitting you, some new request or issue, and you have to deal with it — and be sure about what you’re do- ing. Your decisions, or your recommenda- tions, could impact hundreds of people.” GOING WITH THE FLOW While some parts of the city with under- ground powerlines only lost electricity for a couple of hours, other areas weren’t so lucky. Just west of the city, two major electrical transmission lines span 1,400 metres across the Athabasca River. They’re important feeders for northeastern Alberta. Fire tore through the area, burning down poles on the north side of the river and
IN THEIR WORDS: CRISIS MANAGEMENT LESSONS LEARNED Have a Good Emergency Plan What I learned was the critical importance of having a strong and Stay Connected One thing that was valuable was
having electricity and gas experts in the provincial and regional emergency operations centres. Together we could look at the whole plan and discuss our mutual issues and opportunities. -Gurb Hari, P.Eng. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate You can’t communicate enough. Letting your customers know what’s going on, letting everybody else in the organization
understood emergency response plan. We have a good one, and it enabled us to take command of the situation quickly. It clearly articulated roles and responsibilities and it allowed us to all be on the same page. The plan eliminated the risk that there would be of miscommunication or misunderstandings. -Paul Goguen, P.Eng.
WINTER 2016 PEG | 53
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker