Storm Predictions Prompt Safety Reminder
APS Asks Customers to Be Prepared, Respect Electric Facilities

January 21, 2010

Weather forecasts are calling for severe winter storms throughout the state today. These powerful storms have the potential to take down power lines, poles and other electrical infrastructure.

While it’s APS’ job to restore service in the event of an outage, being safe and looking out for the safety of others is something everyone can do. APS offers several safety tips to help get you through severe winter weather:

• Be prepared. Have the following items handy: battery-operated radio, flashlights, an ample supply of batteries and at least one telephone that is not cordless. The entire family should know where the flashlights are kept before an outage occurs. Do not use candles as a source of light. In the event of a prolonged outage, the media will keep customers informed.
  
  
• Look around. If an outage occurs, first check your neighborhood. If yours is the only home without power, check to see if a main fuse is blown, or a main circuit breaker tripped. Take extra precaution in the event the home’s equipment has been damaged. If the outage is beyond your home, call APS.
  
  
• Stay away from downed power lines. In fact, stay away from all downed lines. Even if you believe it’s a cable or telephone line, the dangers of electricity are simply too great to take that chance. Assume any line is an energized line. In the case of a downed line, immediately call 911, then APS.
  
  
• Respect electric facilities. APS asks everyone to stay clear of all electric facilities, including substations, power poles and wires. In the event someone witnesses a non-APS employee tampering with company equipment or other suspicious activity around APS facilities, call the nearest law enforcement agency and APS.
  
  
• Use the proper space heater. If using a space heater, make sure it has current safety features including a tip-over safety switch, as well as the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) label attached to it. Locate the heater on a level surface away from foot traffic and keep children and pets away. Use only space heaters that are classified as vented. Unvented units are not recommended for use in the home as they introduce unwanted combustion products, including carbon monoxide, into the living space.

In the event of an outage, that information – as well as outage status – can be communicated through APS’ automated phone system. When you call, you should be prepared to give your APS account number and phone number.

To report an outage, call (602) 371-7171 (Metro Phoenix area) or 1-800-253-9405 (other areas).

APS, Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electric utility, serves about 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).

Damon Gross, Media Contact
(602) 250-2269