YAVAPAI COUNTY, Arizona. – In May of this year Arizona Public Service (APS) implemented its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program for high fire-risk areas in Yavapai County. PSPS is a safety measure that temporarily shuts off power during periods of high wildfire danger. While PSPS may create hardships, its primary goal is to safeguard lives, properties, and the community’s well-being by preventing wildfires caused by downed power lines.

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management (YCOEM) recognizes the importance of preparedness and encourages citizens to develop an emergency plan tailored to the specific needs of their family, including pets and livestock.

Key steps include:

• Ensuring you have a backup power source for essential medical equipment, including for medications that require refrigeration.
• Prepare or restock an emergency kit with adequate supplies of food, water, and medications.
• Identify backup charging methods for phones, learn the manual operation of your garage door, and if you have a generator, ensure that it’s ready for safe use. For those on well water, establish a plan for providing water to your animals during an outage.

Once notified of a PSPS occurring within Yavapai County, YCOEM will work closely with APS to ensure the public is kept informed by sharing updates and information on our website, social media accounts (X, Facebook, Instagram), and local media outlets.

APS states that PSPS will only be used when necessary due to weather conditions in communities identified with a high fire risk. PSPS Yavapai County communities include:

• Boynton Pass Rd., and Aerie Rd, west of Enchantment Resort, including the Dry Creek Rd. area;
• Iron Springs, Pine Lakes, Emmanuel Pines, Highland Pines and Dearing Park;
• Kirkland, Skull Valley, Rancho Diamante, Tonto Rd., Ruger Ranch, Yava, Hillside, Mule Shoe Ranch and outlying ranches;
•  Zonia Mine, Wagoner, Walnut Grove and ranches along Hassayampa River
• Yavapai Down, Coyote Crest, Mingus West, Prescott Ridge and Mingus Academy Girls School;
•  Poland Junction, Mayer and Bensch Ranch;
•  Highway 89A north of Owenby Way round-a-bout, Oak Creek Canyon north of Downtown Sedona;
•  Potato Patch, Walker, Groom Creek and Wolf Creek.

The Arizona Emergency Information Network (AZEIN) ein.az.gov and APS provide detailed insights into the PSPS approach through their respective websites. Including information on:

• Monitoring conditions: power companies closely monitor fire weather conditions, including wind speed, humidity levels, and vegetation conditions.
• Decision to shut off power: when conditions become extreme, power companies may decide to shut off power in targeted areas to prevent wildfires. The decision to shut off power is based on several factors, including weather and vegetation conditions.
• Notification: customers in participating limited areas will be notified by [APS four days] in advance of power being shut off temporarily. Notifications may be sent via email, text messages, automated phone calls, and the utility’s website. It is crucial for customers to ensure their account contact information is up to date to receive alerts from their provider.
• Power restoration: Once extreme fire risk conditions diminish, field crews will inspect the lines that were shut off. If there is no damage, electricity will be restored during daylight hours. In most cases, if a Public Safety Power Shutoff is called, power will be restored after about 20 hours, but the actual duration will depend on current weather conditions and if any equipment repairs are needed.

APS has a map on its website showing which areas are affected. To see if your community may be impacted go to Public Safety Power Shutoff (aps.com), or call APS at (800) 253-9405 for more information.

For information on how to prepare for a Public Safety Power Shutoff, including information on the Functional Needs Registry, please visit our website www.yavapaiready.gov/psps.

For more information about APS and the Medical Care Program, visit https://www.aps.com/psps.

For information about Yavapai County, please contact Sarah Townsley at 928-777-7509, email [email protected], Or visit www.YavapaiReady.Gov