Power outage planned Oct. 11

  • Published
  • By Merrie Schilter-Lowe
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The dining hall, chapel and commissary will open, but all Army and Air Force Exchange facilities, including the shoppette and mini-mall, will close during a base-wide power outage from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 11.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company will shut off the power at Travis Air Force Base, California, to perform maintenance on a transmission line and to replace damaged power poles, said Master Sgt. Raymond Wargel, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron.

PG&E also will replace a power pole at the intersection of Canon and North Gate roads, which may restrict traffic to one lane. 

"We don't have a specific time yet for when PG&E will change that pole," he said. 

The outage will not affect traffic lights. 

Some critical care facilities will have backup generators, including the Sierra Inn Dining Facility, which keep open normal hours. The David Grant USAF Medical Center and Fisher Houses will not lose power as they operate on a separate power line, said Wargel. 

The chapel has its own generator and will hold services, but only at the First Street Chapel, said Chaplain (Maj.) Andrew Thornley, 60th Air Mobility Wing.  Mass will take place at 9 a.m. and noon and a combined Protestant service will take place at 10:30 a.m.

The fitness center will close. However, patrons registered for after-hour access can use the facility when power is restored, said Master Sgt. Martinedzel Tanedo, 60th Force Support Squadron.

The bowling center will close and the golf course will be open from sunrise to sunset. The aero club and marina are open by appointment only.    

The commissary will operate on holiday hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., said Frank Lopes, store administrator. 

Although the store has its own generators, they don't power some parts of the store. 

"The bakery and deli will be closed but the sandwich line will be open," Lopes said. 

Although the meat cutting department will close, there will be plenty of pre-cut selections in the meat case, he said.     

The gas station pumps at the shoppette and Firestone Auto Care will be inoperative, even for credit card purchases. The shoppette will reopen at 7 p.m., but the other exchange facilities will remain closed, said Paula Bradford, exchange store manager.

Balfour Beatty Communities is encouraging housing residents to prepare early for the power outage since the community center will close. During the base-wide power outage two years ago the community center staff was overwhelmed by the number of people that showed up. 

"We aren't staffed for that," said Julie Anderson, lifework coordinator. 

Earlier reports indicated Balfour Beatty would provide generators for families with health issues, but that was inaccurate, said Mark DuPree, Balfour Beatty Communities program manager. He encouraged families "to make arrangements with Fisher House or seek off base accommodations" during the power outage.   

Residents also should remove their vehicles from the garage before the power goes out or park outside the garage, DuPree said.  Residents should consult their garage door manuals before manually operating the door, he said. 

Residents also should have flashlights and batteries on hand and turn off heating and air conditioning units once the power goes off to prevent a surge when it is restored.

Homes in the Onizuka Flats North area and on Texas and Illinois streets have separate power lines and not expected to lose power. However, residents should make preparations "just in case," said Anderson. 

More tips and suggestions can be found on the Balfour Beatty website, Facebook page and in the quarterly newsletter.  The company also plans to send out a mass email reminding residents of the power out, said Anderson.