Preparing for a power outage if you have life-saving medical equipment.
No Hershey’s Mill amenity building, including the Community Center, has a backup generator. Providing backup power for medical devices, cell phone charging, heat/air conditioning during extreme temperatures, etc. is the responsibility of the homeowner/resident.
The reason the HM buildings don’t have a generator is:
- Power outages typically occur during extreme weather events (flooding, high winds, snow/ice storms, etc.) when residents should not be attempting to drive.
- A prolonged outage typically affects hundreds of HM homes at one time; and this could lead to an amenity building being filled beyond capacity and could certainly exhaust any available electrical outlets.
- HM Security is typically very busy responding to emergency calls in the community. During extreme weather when the police are also stretched thin on manpower, they call Security and ask them to respond to certain 911 calls (inside HM) for them.
Some steps you can take, depending on your situation, to prepare for a power outage:
- Some residents have installed backup generators or backup battery supply systems in their homes.
- Other residents have chosen to stay with family, friends, or in hotels when there is advance warning of inclement weather.
- Contact your medical supply company to see if they have any suggestions for using their equipment during outages.
- Have a support network of friends/family/neighbors who would be available to assist you, if need be. If you don’t have anyone nearby, or feel that is not possible, contact the Chester County Department of Aging Services for advice or ideas.
- In the worst-case scenarios, when preventative measures have not been taken, residents dependent on medical equipment that has run out of power call 911.