County facilities staff told the Board of Commissioners on July 24 that a planned breaker replacement and related outage last week was completed early and that teams used the event to identify gaps in emergency power coverage.
The facilities director said crews completed a “major 2,000‑amp breaker change out” and restored power earlier than expected. The director said teams “were able to learn a lot about the facility” while power was off and that staff compiled notes on items that were not covered by emergency circuits.
The board heard that staff found several systems that did not transfer to generator power during the outage: a return fan on a roof (the supply fan continued to run) and at least one refrigerator that was not on an emergency circuit. The facilities director said teams and affected departments toured closed units during the outage to log what equipment was—and was not—on emergency power so adjustments can be made before the next major outage.
Board members and department heads praised the coordination. The facilities director said teams from multiple departments were “in constant communication” during the outage and that the work was “a learning experience.” The director also noted that temporary cables and the size of the replacement breaker made the work challenging.
The board requested follow‑up work: moving critical appliances to emergency circuits where feasible and tightening circuits for certain HVAC/dishwasher components that were affected. Staff said they will debrief and compile a list of items to shift to the emergency sector and provide that information to commissioners.
No formal motion or vote was associated with the facilities update; it was presented as a department head report during the public session.
The presentation also referenced broader continuity and training benefits; staff said the drill‑like conditions highlighted strengths in interdepartmental coordination and identified a few specific corrective actions that staff will pursue.
The facilities director and other department staff made the report during the department head updates portion of the July 24 meeting of the Board of Commissioners.