Otero County Electric Cooperative
Prepare for winterstorms Chief Executive Officer Mario Romero Cloudcroft Office 404 Burro Avenue • P.O. Box 227 Cloudcroft, NM 88317 575-682-2521 Carrizozo Office 507 Twelfth Street • P. O. Box 669 Carrizozo, NM 88301 575-648-2352 Alto Office 1135 Hwy. 48 • P.O. Box 1135 Alto, NM 88312 575-336-4550 Emergency and Outages 800-548-4660
When winter temperatures drop, and storms hit, it can be challenging to stay safe and warm. Winter storm severity varies depending on where you live, but in our area we can count on being affected by an extreme winter storm at some point. OCEC cares about your safety, and we want you to be prepared. Heavy snow and ice can lead to downed power lines, leaving co-op members without power. During extremely low temperatures, this can be dangerous. During a power outage, our crews will continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power, but there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself.
• Stay warm: Plan to use a safe alternate
Secretary Marty Mills, Central District
heating source, such as a fireplace or woodstove during an outage. These are options to keep you and your loved ones warm, but exercise caution, and never leave the heating source unattended. If you are using gasoline-, propane-, or natural gas-burning devices to stay warm, never use them indoors. Remember that fuel- and wood-burning sources of heat should always be properly ventilated. Always read the manufacturer’s directions before using.
Treasurer Scott Shafer, NW District
• Stay fed: The CDC recommends
Fax • 575-682-3109 Website • www.ocec-inc.com Office Hours 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (M-F) Board of Trustees President Charles Mulcock, SE District Vice President Denny Burnett, SE District
Vacant, SW District Bill Bird, NE District Cheri Hass, Central District David Powers, NE District Tim Rabon, SW District
having available several days’ supply of food that does not need to be cooked. Crackers, cereal, canned goods, and bread are good options. Five gallons of water per person should be available in the event of an extended power outage.
Preston Stone, NW District Board Meeting
• Stay safe: When an outage occurs, it
The Board of Trustees meets the third Friday of the month at 9:00 a.m. at the Cooperative.
16 December 2020 • enchantment.coop
could mean power lines are down. It is best not to travel during winter storms, but if you must, take a survival kit along, and do not travel alone. If you encounter downed lines, ALWAYS assume they are live. Stay as far away from the downed lines as possible, and report the situation to our dispatchers by calling 800-548-4660.
• Stay informed: Members can receive outage updates via email if they choose. If you would like to get these messages, please call our office and provide your email address. Also, outage updates are frequently posted on our Facebook (FB) page, be sure to check there for critical outage information, as well. Don’t use Facebook, a feed of our FB page shows on the homepage of the website, www.ocec-inc.com, so members are always able to see what has been posted to our page.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
