Hydro Ottawa, Powerstream Join North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group

North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group (NAMAG) comprises utilities from across northeast Canada and the U.S. that deliver not-for-profit assistance to each other during times of crisis.
Designed to increase coordination of resources and support, NAMAG empowers participating utilities to quickly action mutual assistance plans to restore power whenever and wherever assistance is needed. NAMAG utilities represent more than 36 million customers.

More specifically, benefits include:
• resource sharing — mutual assistance provides a way for utilities affected by natural or man-made hazards to request and receive emergency assistance in the form of personnel, equipment, materials, and other specialized resources and associated services
• cost effectiveness — mutual aid allows for a more efficient allocation of resources by eliminating the need for utilities to keep additional full-time staff on-hand for emergency-only situations; this also saves utilities money by not having to keep additional labour on staff for these situations
• information sharing — regional mutual assistance groups also provide a forum for discussing industry related topics, forming supportive relationships, sharing best practices, minimizing individual company risks and labour costs, setting safety expectations, and coordinating regional restoration
• emergency preparedness — these partnerships are helping to improve emergency preparedness by facilitating more collaboration as well as streamlining coordinated processes between state/provincial/federal and local governments and utilities, which can help ensure that utilities are even more prepared for the next major outage. An example of this collaboration is the streamlined process that has been developed with both the U.S. and Canadian Border Services to get utility Line staff and equipment over our respective borders more easily.

Other Canadian members include:
•   Emera
•   Hydro-One
•   Hydro Quebec
•   NB Power
•   Powerstream
•   Saint John Energy
•   Toronto Hydro

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As industry experts you know the products you use everyday better than anyone and should have input on what information you receive about products and what could improve them.

Therefore, we want your insight on the biggest challenges or issues you face when installing loadcentres, breakers (CAFI, GFI's…) and other surge protection devices. We ask that you do not provide product specific details but rather your general issues and concerns or any questions that have come to mind while working with these product types. Provide us with your valued expert insight into the issues you have faced so manufacturers can better inform you about the installation and use of these products. Lets generate some discussion that will help guide the Industry.

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Sonepar Canada Launches Three New eCommerce Mobile Applications

Sonepar Sonepar Canada has announced the launch of new mobile applications for Gescan Vallen, Sesco and Lumen.

The mobile apps were officially released as of June of this year and features barcode scanning, access to pricing, product availability, store locator and much more – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The new mobile app is changing the way customers can interact with the Operating Companies within Sonepar Canada. The barcode scanning functionality is a popular feature amongst customers allowing them to scan an item easily and add it to their cart.

Grid Reliability to Be Improved with New Transmission Line in Fredericton Region

Fredericton Transmission Line NB Power recenly announced it will seek approval to build a new transmission line in the Fredericton area, which will improve the reliability of the power grid in the region for approximately 25, 000 customers.

The new proposed 15-kilometre transmission line will run from the Rainsford Substation, in Fredericton, to the Mactaquac Terminal.

“NB Power strives to offer its customer a reliable power grid that meets or exceeds all utility standards,” said NB Power’s President and CEO, Gaëtan Thomas. “This will increase transmission reliability for customers in the Fredericton region with fewer interruptions that can be restored within minutes rather than hours or days.”

Emergency Lighting Principles: Safety and Security on the Path of Egress

By Kevin Smee, Vice President Sales at AimLite

Most of us take light for granted. It has become so ubiquitous and cheap to use that we don’t really stop to think about emergencies. Thankfully most buildings are required by law since 1974 to be equipped with emergency lighting that automatically activates during power failures to facilitate our exit.

Emergency lighting is only one component of a building’s life safety systems, but perhaps one of the most important.

Finding the Answer

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