Dependable Utilities Generate a Blasé attitude
I lived for many years in Canada where the water flows free and plentiful and generates most of our power needs, year after year, decade after decade. Then in 1998 came the Great Ice Storm.
Quebec was knocked flat. Much of it's power comes from Labrador (part of Newfoundland) and many of the stately pylons carrying the life blood of today's lifestyle collapsed, simply crumpled, under the weight of the ice.
'Low voltage' (local distribution) failed, too, with trees and hydro (electricity) wires fell and utility poles cracking or snapping off under the combination of 7-11 cm (3-4 in) and cold weather. But after a month everyone had their power restored.
Then came the Northeast blackout of 2003 was a widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and the Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, just after 4:10 p.m. EDT.
Two very hot days in a big city like Toronto, with no power, is not fun.
Now. living in VietNam, power failures are a nothing. Most business have portable generators, larger entities such as hotels and hospitals have impressive generators, housed in 'sound proof' box=shaped containers.
My wife owns two mid-sized hotels and I own a mid-size 4-floor office building and a couple of homes. All have fire alarms and stand-by power systems. The hotels have LED lighting, throughout, and their initial back-up is through batteries, big batteries.
My office has battery/generator back-up, as do my homes.
Every one of our buildings has an automatic, human intervention-free, fire and power system. They are programmed to randomly power off, or sound the alarm, so that all occupants are very familiar with emergency procedures.
I wonder how often BA actually tested their facilities without giving prior notice? How often does YOUR company do the same? It's the only way to really test emergency equipment.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
