Blackout: “Communication and preparation are the keys”

Sugar Mizzy December 4, 2022

The blackout is a much-discussed topic, although experts such as Herwig Struber, Managing Director of Salzburg Netz GmbH, consider such an occurrence to be “unlikely”. Even so, 700 of his employees regularly use scenarios like this.

SALZBURG. The topic of blackout is currently occupying politics, business and private individuals – “many do not even know what a blackout is,” says Herwig Struber, Managing Director of Salzburg Netz GmbH. “A power failure is not a blackout. A blackout is a scenario in which large parts of Europe are affected by a prolonged power failure lasting twelve to 48 hours,” explains the expert.

Triggers can be:

Thunderstorms, storms, heat, fires
technical causes such as overload or defects
or human causes such as sabotage, attacks or erroneous action.

According to Struber, one had to be clear about what would no longer work in the event of a blackout in order to be prepared for it.

That doesn’t work anymore:

Telephone, mobile phone, Internet, ATM, payment systems
Traffic lights, gas stations, tunnels
Rail traffic, public transport, elevators, lifts
occasional water supply and sanitation
Light, cooling and many heating systems

“An unlikely event”

Salzburg Netz GmbH, as a 100 percent subsidiary of Salzburg AG, is preparing for such situations: “We have set up a crisis and emergency management system and prepared plans for different scenarios. Our employees perform regularly,” says Struber. “We have 700 employees who ensure that everyone in Salzburg has electricity 24 hours a day. I am very confident that should this unlikely event occur, we will take the right steps.”

“In 12 to 48 hours, the entire power grid in Europe can be restarted.”
_{Herwig Struber, Managing Director of Salzburg Netz GmbH}

Have you stocked up for crisis scenarios?

Coordinate when standard communication doesn’t work

Markus Kurcz, head of disaster control in the state of Salzburg, will also be prepared. Salzburg’s Energy Control Advisory Board, in which business is also represented, has already met several times. Kurcz sees the greatest challenge when it comes to power outages and blackouts in communication: “We are currently concerned with how an operation can be carried out without standard communication: How do the authorities communicate between or with operation, aid and rescue organizations; or also with the population; and how the population with authorities, emergency, aid and rescue organizations are formed,” says Kurcz.

“Every family needs a plan”

The expert is convinced: The key lies in the “smallest units”: “If the family plans show how family reunification and care for the relatives works in the case, the experts can work to remedy the situation.” Kurcz therefore advises organizing within the family. >>HERE< you can find tips for it.