The City of Mesquite Fire Chief Kash Christopher and Emergency Management Coordinator Spencer Lewis instructed a two-hour Web EOC training class to the Overton Power District No. 5 staff at the district’s Mesquite conference room on June 7. The Web EOC is a Web-enabled incident management system used by the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the use of state’s assets and to provide real-time information to local and tribal emergency operations centers during an emergency such as a prolonged power outage.

The board of directors, management and staff have placed emphasis in improving how the district disseminates accurate information to the public in a timely manner, streamlining this information to local authorities and emergency response teams. Communication is critical in the event of an emergency and Overton Power District No. 5 recognizes the importance to exceed their customers’ needs and expectations.

The District made several changes to their internal communications protocol, met with key emergency management personnel at the city and state level and was granted access to update the Web EOC in the event of a prolonged power outage. Mesquite Fire Chief Christopher said “Any time we can help Overton Power, we’re going to. By utilizing Web EOC, it will allow them to continually update us, all of Clark County, and the State of Nevada on the progress.”

Another area where customers will notice a major improvement is with the after-hours call center. The district contracted the services of CRC, a company with more than 25 years in the utility industry. Not only will they be able to answer questions during an emergency but they are capable of receiving payments, providing account information and assisting customers after regular office hours. CRC will start in August after the implementation process is completed.