American Gas - October 2011 - (Page 14)

safety security reliability safety first in Case of emergency … Centralization and technology have helped one utility trim its emergency response time. JaMes JOlly is director of dispatch operations for central Hudson Gas & electric corp. 14 OctOber 2011 hen a customer detects a problem with a natural gas line or meter, utility dispatchers, managers and service workers must react quickly. For the dispatch personnel at Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. (Central Hudson), responding to gas emergencies trumps other duties and can become job one in seconds. Central Hudson’s target time for workers to arrive at an emergency site is about 20 minutes, in accordance with parameters established by the New York Public Service Commission. It’s a challenging goal when considering the size of the service territory, which straddles the Hudson River from suburban New York City northward to Albany, encompassing about 2,600 square miles. The utility serves more than 74,000 natural gas customers, with a gas system consisting of 164 miles of transmission pipelines and 1,176 miles of distribution pipelines, as well as customer service lines and meters. Over the years, every employee in Central Hudson’s system/dispatch operations group has had an impact on improving the utility’s response times. Many have performed the tasks necessary for timely response, and have trained others, while reinforcing the significance and seriousness of the nature of this work. “In 2004, we centralized dispatch operations from five offices into one, and gave those employees responsibility for callout and operations management,” said Timothy Scott, director of customer service process and productivity for Central Hudson. “Our goal was to standardize practices and procedures to speed up emergency repairs as well as scheduled maintenance.” AmericAn GAs W Because of schedules and workload, dispatch personnel may seek responders from anywhere within the service territory, but drawing upon staff beyond the district in which the emergency is located could mean a longer response time. For after-hours calls, the dispatch team also must select responders in a way that ensures an equitable distribution of overtime. Despite these challenges, during the last five years Central Hudson’s system/dispatch operations group has typically outperformed the corporate-set target response time. The target in 2005 was 22.5 minutes, and the average response time was just 22.2 minutes. In 2006 and 2007, the target was 22.5 minutes and 21.3 minutes, respectively. Central Hudson posted a total average response time of 21.3 minutes in 2006 and 20.7 minutes in 2007; these times were even lower than the target set for superior response time both years. From 2008 to 2010, the average response time did not reach the target, but the average response was no more than 54 seconds off the goal. The New York Public Service Commission requires utilities to respond to gas odor complaints within 45 minutes or less 90 percent of the time. In 2010, Central Hudson met that requirement 99 percent of the time. From 2004 to 2009, response team staff was reduced while meter sets increased, yet average response time was 6 percent lower in 2009 than in 2004. technology and teamwork speed response time By using technology and teamwork, Central Hudson has been able to decrease the time it takes to respond to natural gas emergencies. Responding to any gas emergency, especially those that occur after normal business hours, requires locating an available crew, keeping a

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - October 2011

American Gas - October 2011
Contents
President's Message
In the News
Safety First
To Be the Best
Set to Sell?
2011 Buyers Guide
Marketplace
Places to Be
Noteworthies
Jobline
Advertisers' Index
Facts on Gas

American Gas - October 2011